Trump calls India and China ‘primary funders’ of Russia’s Ukraine war, criticises NATO over energy purchases

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks to the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City on September 23, 2025. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

US President Donald Trump termed India and China as "primary funders" of Moscow's war in Ukraine over their purchase of Russian oil. He also demanded that European allies immediately stop buying oil from Russia.

"China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase the Russian oil, but inexcusably, even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russian energy products, which I found out about two weeks ago, and I wasn't happy. Think of it, they are funding the war against themselves..." Trump said while addressing the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

"It's embarrassing to them, and it was very embarrassing to them when I found out about it. ... They (European countries) have to immediately cease all energy purchases from Russia. Otherwise we're all wasting a lot of time," Trump said.

Trump said he was disappointed the war in Ukraine was still going on and repeated that he initially believed that it “would be the easiest” war to end. On the campaign trail, he has claimed he could end the conflict in one day.

“Everyone thought Russia would win this war in three days, but it didn’t work out that way,” Trump said. “It was supposed to be just a quick little skirmish. It’s not making Russia look good.”

He added that Russia’s initial attack “was something that should have taken a matter of days, certainly less than a week, and they’ve been fighting for three and a half years.”

Trump hit out at the UN, claiming that he ended “seven unendable wars” over the past seven months with no help from the international body.

“I had to end wars instead of the United Nations. The UN has such tremendous potential, but it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential. They just write a strongly worded letter and then they don’t do anything about those words," he said.