Britain, EU With New Sanctions On Russia After ‘Failed’ Trump Call With Putin (Worthy News Radio) (Update)
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BRUSSELS/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The European Union and Britain have introduced new sanctions against Russia without waiting for the United States to join them, after the U.S. and Russian presidents talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine war were inconclusive.
London and Brussels said Tuesday that their new sanctions would focus on Moscow’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and financial companies that helped Russia avoid the impact of other punitive measures imposed over the war.
The armed conflict began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Europe’s new sanctions were announced without corresponding steps from Washington, despite lobbying from leaders of European nations for the Trump administration to join them.
The measures were agreed upon a day after U.S. President Donald J. Trump spoke to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
While Trump said Putin had agreed on more talks, he did not win a promise from Russia for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
However, Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched more than 100 drones into Ukraine following the conclusion of the Trump-Putin phone call.
DRONES DAMAGE REGIONS
While most were apparently shot down or otherwise neutralized, damage was still reported in four Ukrainian regions. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down eight Ukrainian drones overnight.
With patience running out in Europe, the EU and Britain decided to act, suggested EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. “So first on Ukraine, I think it is important, as we have all said, 27 of us, that there has to be a full and unconditional ceasefire,” she told reporters. Ukraine has already agreed to this 60 days or more than 60 days ago.”
She added, “We have agreed that if Russia does not agree with what we saw yesterday, then we will put more pressure. So we will agree on the 17th package of sanctions today, and we continue working on the next strong package of sanctions to put more pressure on Russia so that they would also want peace.”
The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, and Poland had already traveled to Kyiv earlier this month, saying they had new sanctions against Russia ready to go.
European leaders then phoned Trump on the eve of his call with Putin, urging him to join them in imposing stricter measures.
Tuesday’s decision to pursue sanctions outside the U.S. came as EU foreign affairs and defence ministers met in Brussels to discuss support for Ukraine.
Yet U.S. President Trump says he still believes there is a “good chance” of peace between Ukraine and Russia to end a war that is thought to have killed and injured over a million people.
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