United States President Donald Trump on Thursday asked Turkey to halt its oil purchases from Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump’s statement came during his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House. The two leaders held a bilateral meeting and discussed regional security, energy cooperation, and the broader implications of the Ukraine conflict.
What did Trump say?
Pointing at Russia’s action in the ongoing conflict which he described as “rampage”, Trump urged Turkish President to stop buying oil from Moscow. “I would like him to stop buying any oil from Russia, as Russia continues its rampage in Ukraine, and they have been fighting. They have lost millions of lives already, and for what, disgraceful,” Trump told reporters.
Trump added that Russia’s economy was in a “terrible” state and accused President Vladimir Putin of unnecessarily prolonging the war in Ukraine. He emphasized that continued energy trade with Moscow only strengthened Putin’s position, urging allied nations to take a firmer stand by cutting economic dependencies.
While Erdogan did not directly respond to the remark on Russian oil, but he underlined his commitment to strengthening Turkish-American ties. Meanwhile, Trump emphasised that the Turkish leader could play a significant role in shaping the situation.
“They really respect Erdogan. I do, and I think he could have a big influence, if he wants to. Right now, he’s very neutral. He likes being neutral. So do I, like being neutral. But he’s somebody that, if he got involved, the best thing he could do is not buy oil and gas from Russia,” Trump further said.
The US President also expressed frustration over Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, noting that despite recent bombardments, Moscow had gained “almost no land” and called them “paper tiger.” With all of the heavy bombardment over the last two weeks, they have gained almost no land,” Trump stated.
Meanwhile, in a post shared by the White House, Trump stated that he likes Erdogan as he is highly opinionated and a tough one.
"It's a pleasure to be with President @RTErdogan of Turkey, and we've been friends for a long time… We do a lot of trade with Turkey, and we're going to continue… We're going to get a lot done." – President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/NexSY05OQJ
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 25, 2025
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