The European Union‘s most senior sanctions envoy, David O’Sullivan, is holding crucial talks with US officials in Washington to discuss new measures against Russia over its ongoing war in Ukraine.
This development comes after Donald Trump expressed readiness to take further action against Russia, following the country’s largest-ever air attack on Ukraine over the weekend.
The EU and US are exploring ways to weaken Vladimir Putin’s war machine, with a focus on increasing pressure through sanctions and secondary tariffs.
European Council President António Costa emphasized the importance of transatlantic cooperation in supporting Ukraine, stating that the EU and US are “coordinating our efforts to align our sanctions, to be more effective” and increase pressure on Putin to join peace negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Costa also highlighted the need for secondary sanctions on countries buying gas and oil from Russia.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that the US and EU could impose tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, emphasizing the need for European partners to follow the US lead.
The EU is considering new sanctions on around half a dozen Russian banks and energy companies, as well as tighter sanctions on major Russian oil companies.
Additionally, the EU may impose export bans on goods and chemicals used by Moscow’s military industry and trade restrictions on foreign firms that supply these items.
The potential sanctions package could also target Russia’s payment and credit card systems, crypto exchanges, and further restrict the country’s oil trade.
According to Bessent, “We need our European partners to follow us, because if the US and EU can do this together… we are in a race now between how long the Ukrainian military hold up versus how long can the Russian economy hold up.”
The meetings between EU and US officials come as the US and Europe seek to strengthen their cooperation on sanctions against Russia.
The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, spoke to US Vice-President JD Vance on Friday, with Ukraine being the sole topic of discussion.
Trump has expressed frustration with the ongoing conflict and has threatened tougher measures against Putin, although he has allowed previous deadlines to pass without action.
The US focus on Russian energy also puts pressure on countries like Hungary and Slovakia, which have resisted EU plans to phase out Russian fossil fuels.
The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, and the Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico, have shown support for Trump’s agenda while maintaining friendly relations with Putin.
The US Energy Secretary, Christ Wright, stated that if Europe ceased buying Russian fossil fuels, it would have a positive impact on the US adopting more aggressive sanctions against Russia.
