U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Turkey to stop buying oil from Russia, part of a wider drive to cut off Moscow's energy funding as the war in Ukraine rages on.
Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House, Trump said halting those imports would be the best thing his Turkish counterpart could do.
The Oval Office meeting ended without any firm commitments to lift U.S. sanctions on Turkey or to sell advanced F-35 fighter jets, though Trump expressed optimism on both issues.
Turkey has for years been prevented from buying U.S. F-35s. In 2019, it was expelled from a programme where it produced parts for the warplane after it acquired air defense systems from Russia.
During a brief question-and-answer session alongside Erdogan in the Oval Office, Trump said he would like Turkey to stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues its rampage against Ukraine.
Trump added that he believes Erdogan is respected by both Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, implying he could have a big influence on the war.
Alongside India and China, Turkey is among Moscow's biggest customers for oil and gas exports, with increases in gas volumes reaching Europe through Turkey recently noted.
Trump's comments come just weeks after he indicated he stood poised to impose tougher sanctions on Russia if NATO countries met specific conditions, including halting imports of Russian oil.
Earlier this week, Trump also accused NATO allies of funding the war against themselves through their purchases of energy from Moscow.
During Trump's first term in office, the U.S. removed Turkey from the F-35 programme after it purchased S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia.
A U.S. defense bill passed in 2020 included an amendment preventing Turkey from acquiring F-35s unless the U.S. government certified it had abandoned the Russian S-400.
Some U.S. lawmakers have expressed concerns about Turkey's military cooperation with Russia and its historical incursions into Syria.
In the Oval Office, Trump told Erdogan that he would be successful with buying the things he would like to buy, suggesting a positive path forward.
Erdogan criticized the F-35 ban as not reflective of a strategic partnership.
Trump indicated that sanctions against Turkey could be lifted very soon if their discussions yield positive results.
This meeting was the second engagement between Trump and Erdogan that week, following a discussion about Gaza at the UN General Assembly.
