Trump-Erdogan meeting: US prez asks Turkey to stop buying Russian oil; F-35 jet deal on agenda

United States President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop buying Russian oil to push Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.”I would like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues this rampage against Ukraine. And they’ve been fighting and lost millions of lives already, and for what? For what?” Trump told reporters alongside visiting Erdogan in the Oval Office. This is another attempt to push Western allies to stop their purchases of Russian crude and increase pressure on Vladimir Putin. Trump and Erdogan’s meeting came as the Republican leader considering to lift the US government’s hold on sales of advanced fighter jets to Ankara. The US president had earlier issued an open letter to Nato members. “I am ready to do major sanctions on Russia when all Nato Nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all Nato Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA,” Trump wrote in a letter he shared on Truth social, a platform he owns. “The purchase of Russian oil, by some, has been shocking! It greatly weakens your negotiating position, and bargaining power, over Russia”, he further added. Asked by a reporter if Trump is going to “undo” what he called “stupid decisions” of the Biden administration not to sell Patriot missiles to Turkey, the US president responds: “we’re going to discuss that”. “I think he’ll be successful in buying the things he’d like to buy” says Trump of Erdogan, referencing F-35 and F-16 jets. “He needs certain things and I need certain things” the president continues, “and we’re going to come to a conclusion”.Turkey has faced US sanctions since 2020 over its purchase and deployment of Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft missiles, a 2017 deal that led to Ankara’s removal from the F-35 programme in 2019.Trump, in the Oval office, called Erdogan “tough man” and said that he is a guy who’s highly opinionated. “Usually I don’t like opinionated people, but I always like this one,” he added.