Sanctions Trump asks EU for 100% tariff on India and China

Donald Trump has asked the EU to impose tariffs of up to 100% on India and China as part of an effort to force the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to end the war in Ukraine.

- Mark Sweney Dominic Rushe

The US president made the demand during a meeting between US and EU officials discussing options to increase economic pressure on Russia on Tuesday, according to a White House official.

One US official told the Financial Times that the Trump administration was "ready to go, ready to go right now, but we are only going to do this if our European partners step up with us".

Trump's proposal comes amid his frustration at brokering a peace deal, including at a high-profile summit with Putin in Alaska, and amid Russia's increasing drone attacks, including its largest ever air attack on Ukraine last week.

After the meeting in Washington, Trump told reporters he expected to have a call with the Russian president "this week or early next week".

The move by Trump follows Putin strengthening his relationship with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, at a showpiece summit in China.

Last month, the US increased tariffs on Indian imports to 50% in response to the country's purchases of Russian oil.