The European Commission is seeking to enhance cooperation with the United States on the issue of sanctions against Russia. It announced on Monday that the EU's sanctions envoy, David O'Sullivan, is in Washington with a team of experts to discuss the details of new sanctions with their American counterparts.
This came after statements made by US President Donald Trump on Sunday, where he confirmed his readiness to move to a second phase of restrictions against Moscow, hinting at tightening sanctions in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
For his part, the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, clarified that the anticipated sanctions are being coordinated closely with the US administration, emphasizing that Brussels hopes to enhance cooperation after previous disagreements, especially after Trump focused earlier this year on peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin instead of expanding sanctions.
Developments indicate a continued divergence between the positions of Washington and Brussels, as the United States did not join the other G7 nations in reducing the cap on Russian crude oil prices before imposing sanctions to $47.60 per barrel. Meanwhile, Washington made a separate decision to impose high tariffs on energy imports from India due to its purchase of large quantities of Russian oil.
The European Union is currently working on formulating the nineteenth package of sanctions against Moscow, amid expectations from European diplomats that it may include Chinese companies and Russian banks, along with ships linked to what is known as the "shadow fleet" involved in oil smuggling. It is also likely that the sanctions will include new restrictions on Russian energy transactions to increase pressure on the Kremlin.
For its part, Moscow renewed its stance rejecting any Western measures, with the Kremlin confirming on Monday that sanctions will not force Russia to change its policies or course in the ongoing war.
