New Delhi, Sept. 11 -- Having slapped heavy tariffs on India, is US President Donald Trump trying to convince the EU to pile on extra pressure?

In a meeting of US and EU officials, as reported by the Financial Times, Trump asked the European bloc to hit India and China with 100% tariffs for the duo's purchases of Russian oil, adding that the US would "mirror" these moves.

Although India's trade talks with the EU have been progressing well, Trump's advice could spell trouble for us if Brussels buckles under its weight. As Nato's internal dynamics have revealed lately, EU countries are too dependent on the US for their security to assert themselves boldly in global affairs beyond a point.

It is important, all the same, for the EU to draw...