(MENAFN) The administration under US President Donald Trump is urging European Union countries backing Kiev to enforce tariffs as high as 500% on Chinese imports, according to a media outlet.

The aim of this proposal is to use the revenue generated from these duties to support Ukraine's ongoing conflict. This move aligns with Washington’s intensifying stance against Beijing, which Trump recently labeled a “trade war.”

His repeated threats of additional tariffs, coupled with retaliatory actions from China, have already caused volatility in global financial markets.

In addition, the United States has encouraged European countries to penalize China for continuing to purchase Russian oil and gas.

As detailed by the media outlet, the suggested tariffs would be funneled into a financial structure called the “Ukraine victory fund.”

The report notes that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been assigned the responsibility of promoting this plan to European leaders ahead of a planned visit to Washington by Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky on Friday.

Kiev is reportedly aiming to obtain American-manufactured Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The Trump administration has shown potential willingness to approve this request, on the condition that European partners assume the financial burden.

Meanwhile, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was present at a NATO defense ministers’ gathering in Brussels on Wednesday, emphasized that the United States anticipates European allies to “donate even more” toward the acquisition of US arms for Ukraine.

In response, Moscow has maintained that Western military assistance will not change the course of the conflict.

Russian officials characterize the war as a NATO-driven proxy campaign against their country and consider it a fundamental threat to national survival.

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