BRUSSELS — A coalition of European leaders has convinced U.S. President Donald Trump that Russia is not interested in ending its war in Ukraine and must be forced to the negotiating table.
“Trump is finally on our side.
A second EU diplomat said they expected “heated discussions” with the U.S. on how to actually go about hitting Russia.
“This is simply a way for the Trump administration to make an unrealistic demand from partners,” Demarais added.
“I have put forward a proposal to ban the import of Russian gas,” he said.
BRUSSELS — A group of European leaders made the case that U. S. . Russia must be pushed to the negotiating table because it has no interest in ending its war in Ukraine, according to President Donald Trump. They must now convince the White House, which is erratic, to agree on a plan to achieve that.
In a series of diplomatic meetings over the past week, senior officials from both sides of the Atlantic have discussed plans to stop the flow of Russian gas and oil as well as new financial restrictions. Officials and diplomats told POLITICO that a high-level EU technical team was even sent to Washington to work on the proposals’ specifics, whose main objectives are shared.
“At last, Trump is on our side. “The question now is how do you reconcile the two approaches,” stated an EU diplomat who was given anonymity to talk about the discussions that took place behind closed doors.
Negotiators privately say that the best course of action must be carried out in coordination with the United States, even as the bloc finalizes a new set of sanctions, the 19th to be imposed on Russia since Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Even though most people agree that pressure must be applied to get Putin to negotiate, the Trump administration would rather use trade tools like tariffs to deplete the Kremlin’s war chest while the EU advocates for official sanctions on companies and financial institutions that do business with Moscow.
They anticipate “heated discussions” with the U.S., according to a second EU diplomat. S. on the real strategy for attacking Russia.
Red lines.
The U. A. This week, the president informed EU officials that, if Brussels does the same, he would like to impose a 100% tariff on China and India for purchasing Russian energy. But for the EU, that is both politically and economically impossible.
This would be against the fundamental values of the EU, especially in light of the fact that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has reaffirmed her opposition to tariffs, stating that “tariffs are taxes” on domestic consumers. Imposing tariffs on China, whose open economy is highly vulnerable, and India, with whom Brussels is negotiating a significant trade agreement, would be monumental acts of self-harm.
We’re not involved in tariffs. As a trading bloc, we are. Exporting is what we do. The EU economy is driven by exports. Agathe Demarais, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, stated, “This is our DNA.”.
Demarais continued, “This is just a means for the Trump administration to demand something that partners cannot provide.”. It is impossible for the EU to impose tariffs on China and India, particularly at that level, and then say, “Okay, so our partners refuse to go forward, and so we cannot move forward,” the partners will say. “.”.
In a recent discussion paper that POLITICO obtained, the Danish presidency of the EU Council examined whether or not capitals would be amenable to levying tariffs on Moscow as part of the bloc’s 19th sanctions package. Several diplomats briefed on the discussions claim that when the idea was brought up last month, ministers didn’t like it.
Support Trump.
The U. S. In order to give EU leaders more leverage in their efforts to completely stop importing from Russia, the president has also urged Europe to stop purchasing Russian fossil fuels, which the Kremlin uses to fund its tanks and troops.
Chris Wright, the energy secretary, arrived in Brussels on Thursday for meetings in the hopes of finalizing the terms of a deal reached between Trump and von der Leyen that would allow the bloc to purchase an additional $750 billion worth of American nuclear fuel, gas, and oil.
In a conference call with reporters, Wright stated, “These are ambitious energy import targets.”. Of course, the U. S. can provide that, but it is a framework that anticipates massive growth in energy trade from our nation’s dot. the United States. S. . The remaining Russian natural gas that is still imported into Europe is being replaced by its expanding exports of liquefied natural gas. “.”.
Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen planned to expedite the bloc’s commitment to stop all imports of Russian natural gas by the end of 2027, possibly moving the deadline forward if it can be agreed upon as part of a compromise with member nations, during a press conference after the meeting with his American counterpart.
“I have proposed a ban on the importation of Russian gas,” he stated. “For that to be accurate. occur in a manner that prevents price hikes and supply security issues in Europe, we require assistance from our American allies. We must import more LNG from the United States. S. . “.”.
In addition to being a significant business opportunity for the U.S. S. The proposal also gives Brussels more leverage when dealing with nations that support the Kremlin, such as Slovakia and Hungary, who have been resisting the plans to cut off relations with Russia.
