Brussels has announced a new package of sanctions against Russia, a day after the Trump-Putin conversation on Ukraine. European allies appear powerless to pressure the US president to join their effort to pressure his Russian counterpart to call a truce and sit down at the negotiating table.
It has only been eleven days since Donald Trump asked Russia for a 30-day ceasefire and threatened Moscow with sanctions. His statements had left Europeans hoping that Washington would finally commit to supporting Kiev and gnash its teeth at Russia. After Monday’s phone call on Ukraine, all their hopes were dashed.
Negotiations, but without the US
Donald Trump’s statement via Truth Social was revealing. Ukraine and Russia would “start negotiations immediately” for a ceasefire – but, as his words suggest, probably without the US. No threat of sanctions, no timetable for the start of negotiations, no pressure on Vladimir Putin. American businesses, however, certainly. He stated that Russia is an important US partner.
Ursula von der Leyen’s first reaction on Monday night was awkward and appeasing. The Commission President thanked Trump for “his tireless efforts for a ceasefire in Ukraine”, but added that “it is important that the US remains committed”.
At noon on Tuesday, Kaia Kalas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, repeated the same “mantra”. The EU hopes there will be a “strong response” from the United States if Russia continues to refuse a ceasefire in Ukraine. Coming to the meeting of the “27” defense ministers, she added: “The United States has said that if Russia does not accept an unconditional ceasefire, there will be consequences. So we want to see those consequences.” “We have not actually seen, you know, pressure on Russia after these talks,” she noted.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has once again blamed Vladimir Putin for the Ukraine impasse. “He is still not ready to make concessions and only talks about a ceasefire on his own terms,” he said.
17th package of sanctions
Kaia Kalas announced the 17th package of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The announced sanctions target new tankers in Russia’s shadow fleet, which allow Moscow to bypass sanctions on Russian oil. In a post on X, she wrote: “The European Union has approved the 17th package of sanctions against Russia, which affects 200 ships in its shadow fleet. Other sanctions against Russia are also being prepared. The longer Russia continues the war, the harsher our response will be.”
Brussels is preparing an 18th package of sanctions. According to the Commission President, it includes measures against the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines. “We continue to work on the next package of sanctions to increase pressure on Russia” over Ukraine, explained Kaja Kalas. She clarified that it concerns “the imposition of ceilings on oil prices, energy and the banking sector.”
Trump Backs Out
Meanwhile, European leaders fear that the US president is backing down on his commitment to ending the war in Ukraine. His phone call with Vladimir Putin has caused disappointment in many European capitals. Trump is pulling out of the diplomatic effort. Trump had made it clear that he did not want to impose more sanctions at this stage and is backing down from his own proposal for a ceasefire. And that leaders in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe disagree with his plan for Moscow and Kiev to talk directly.
Trump gave Putin time
Officials in Brussels believe that all Donald Trump did was give Vladimir Putin time to achieve his goals in Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky believes the same. Putin is buying more time for himself and his army. Putin has gained more opportunities, and a ceasefire and a resolution to the crisis seem increasingly distant.
“There can be no deadline”
The absence of a timetable for peace talks was also emphasized by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “There is no deadline and there cannot be one. It is clear that everyone wants them to be held as soon as possible, but the devil is in the details,” he said.
Russia, for its part, has made it clear that it will sit down at the negotiating table on its own terms. Terms that Ukraine – and its allies – will find difficult to accept.
Moscow wants specific things. These include “the very existence of the Ukrainian state in its current form.” Russia presents itself as open to negotiations and publicly welcomes US efforts to avoid upsetting Washington. But in practice, it is firmly sticking to its original position.
