Trump’s Economic Gambit: Squeeze Putin by Squeezing His Allies

President Donald Trump has unveiled a new economic gambit designed to end the Ukraine war: squeeze Vladimir Putin by squeezing his most important allies. The plan calls for the United States and the European Union to jointly impose tariffs of up to 100% on all imports from India and China, a move intended to make their support for Russia too costly to maintain.
This strategy of indirect pressure was presented to EU officials as a necessary step after diplomatic efforts failed to produce results. A White House official confirmed the US is “ready to go” but is waiting for a commitment from its European partners to join the effort.
The gambit is a direct response to the deepening economic ties between Russia and the two Asian giants, which have helped Moscow weather the storm of Western sanctions. The US has already shown its hand with a 50% tariff hike on India, but this new plan would be a far more significant escalation.
However, the success of this gambit is threatened by a critical US Supreme Court case. The court’s pending ruling on the president’s tariff authority could either validate his strategy or dismantle it entirely, forcing the government to pay back billions in collected duties.