Trump put pressure on European leaders over Russian oil purchases, White House official says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump told European leaders on Thursday that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that he said is helping Moscow fund its war against Ukraine, a White House official said.

Trump joined a call of the “Coalition of the Willing” countries, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, who were meeting on ways to help Ukraine repel Russian invaders.

“President Macron and European leaders called President Trump into their ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meeting. President Trump emphasized that Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war — as Russia received 1.1 billion euros in fuel sales from the EU in one year. The president also emphasized that European leaders must place economic pressure on China for funding Russia’s war efforts,” the official said.

(Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )