EU Postpones 19th Russia Sanctions Package Amid Pressure from Trump

The European Union has delayed the official presentation of its 19th package of sanctions against Russia after U.S. President Donald Trump demanded that European allies adopt stricter measures as a condition for Washington to impose new restrictions of its own.

The Gaze reports this, referring to Bloomberg and European Pravda.

According to Bloomberg, an unnamed European diplomat confirmed that the European Commission had been expected to unveil the sanctions package during a meeting of EU ambassadors on Wednesday, September 17. That plan has now been postponed.

The delay follows new U.S. pressure on its G7 partners. Last Friday, Washington called on allies to introduce 100% tariffs on imports of Russian oil purchased by China and India and to take additional steps to compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to enter negotiations with Ukraine.

Diplomatic sources told European Pravda that G7 states are working on a revised sanctions package and aim to complete the text within two weeks. In the EU, officials expect that the Commission could finalize its draft by the end of this week.

So far, Trump has held back from imposing direct U.S. sanctions on Moscow, even after missing several deadlines he had set himself. 

Meanwhile, Putin continues to reject discussions on ending the war. Trump has said Washington is prepared to impose “serious sanctions” only if all NATO members act collectively and stop purchasing Russian oil.

EU sources note that the U.S. proposal effectively shifts responsibility to Europe, as imposing tariffs on China and India could be particularly difficult for member states such as Germany that rely heavily on those export markets.

Within the EU’s forthcoming package, officials are considering measures that include a faster phase-out of Russian fossil fuels and potential new restrictions on issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens.

The European Commission has not yet commented on when the sanctions package will be ready for presentation.

In response to the debate, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the U.S. administration to take a “clearly defined position” on sanctions against Russia and on providing security guarantees for Ukraine, stressing that only firm and united action can stop the Kremlin and bring the war to an end.

As The Gaze reported previously, European Union member states are weighing whether to tighten restrictions on tourist visas for Russian citizens as part of the bloc’s upcoming 19th sanctions package against Moscow.