Europe pushes tougher line on Russia in growing split with Trump
European leaders are set to demand tougher sanctions on Russia at a European Council summit on Thursday, directly challenging President Donald Trump’s recent deal with Vladimir Putin to lift limits on Russian diesel exports. The draft joint statement obtained by POLITICO calls for new measures targeting Moscow’s oil revenues, following the EU foreign ministers’ approval of the bloc’s largest-ever addition to its Russia sanctions list, which names more than 1,600 individuals and entities. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz both urged Brussels to intensify pressure, arguing that Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure demonstrate that “Russia is not interested in de‑escalation, cease‑fire or peace.” The United States, meanwhile, seeks to lower domestic fuel prices by allowing an extra 4.8 million tons of Russian diesel onto global markets, a move Trump touts as an “energy cease‑fire” even as European officials question its impact and motives.
The core consequence of the transatlantic split is a deepening rift over how to force Moscow to the negotiating table, with Europe insisting that restricting the Kremlin’s energy income remains essential to ending the war. Kyiv expects a 23rd package of sectoral sanctions to be circulated to EU governments by year‑end, while Britain and Norway have pledged to tighten their own restrictions, urging the closure of loopholes that allow Russia to finance its invasion. EU diplomats view Trump’s policy shift as driven by domestic political pressures ahead of the 2024 U.S. midterm elections, where rising gasoline prices—now more than twice the campaign promise of under $2 a gallon—threaten Republican prospects. Officials note that the additional diesel will cover only about ten days of U.S. demand, offering “minimal” relief to American consumers while potentially undermining the broader strategy of starving Moscow of war‑funding revenue.
Looking ahead, European officials are urging Washington to align its approach with Brussels, citing recently enacted U.S. sanctions legislation championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham that provides new tools to target Russia’s energy trade. While most EU leaders refrain from publicly condemning Trump, they signal that any failure by Putin to honor the diesel agreement could prompt a reversal of U.S. policy. The dispute has revived calls for the United States to enforce its own sanctions more rigorously, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urging coordinated action to demonstrate to Russia that both sides are prepared to impose harsher measures. The outcome of this diplomatic tug‑of‑war will shape not only the immediate economic pressures on Moscow but also the broader geopolitical calculus of the war in Ukraine and the stability of transatlantic relations.
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🌍World Economy
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❤️Health
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💷Wealth
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