Trump deliberately put forward unrealistic conditions to the EU to avoid imposing sanctions against Russia – WSJ
Фото: Reuters
US President Donald Trump has set conditions for the European Union that diplomats consider to be deliberately unfeasible, in order not to impose tough sanctions against Russia himself.
This is reported by The Wall Street Journal.
According to the publication, Trump said that he is ready to impose serious sanctions against Moscow only if all NATO countries join this step and completely stop buying Russian oil. European diplomats emphasize that the US president realizes the impossibility of fulfilling these demands, which in fact allows him to avoid additional pressure on the Kremlin.
Brussels is trying to come up with a response to the US president’s ultimatum. This week, the EU even postponed the presentation of a new sanctions package against Russia in order to strengthen its content and prepare tougher restrictions. However, Europe understands that abandoning Russian oil is currently an extremely difficult task economically and politically.
At the same time, Trump is calling on European states to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. The EU has been discussing this issue for several months, but the countries have so far refrained from taking decisive steps due to fears of damaging their financial reputations.
These are assets held at the European securities depository Euroclear in Belgium, which are dominated by EU, US and UK government bonds. Brussels is now considering the option of partially using these funds from next year.
One proposal involves creating a mechanism under which the assets would be effectively “lent” to Ukraine, with potential losses to Euroclear covered by the EU. If Russia refuses to pay reparations after the war, sanctions against Moscow would have to be extended to avoid the return of this money. As one of the negotiators explained, the fund would act as a “free and unlimited subscription to arms” for Ukraine.
Analysts emphasize that the search for a response to Trump’s challenge demonstrates the complexity of coordinating EU policy after the end of direct military assistance from the United States. It also indicates the limited set of tools that European countries are ready to use to pressure Russia.
Earlier, European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinheau commented on reports by certain media outlets about the alleged postponement of the presentation of restrictive measures and denied information about a delay in preparing a new package of sanctions against Russia.
Recall, Donald Trump previously stated that he was ready to move to the second stage of sanctions against Russia for waging war in Ukraine.
The United States on Tuesday once again threatened Russia with sanctions if the Kremlin does not move toward a peaceful settlement. Trump also said that the Russian dictator’s reluctance to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would have “serious consequences” for Russia.
At the same time , the conditions set by US President Donald Trump for the introduction of new sanctions against Russia will likely remain unfulfilled.
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