WSJ: EU Diplomats Say Trump Sets Unrealistic Demands to Dodge Russia Sanctions
European diplomats believe U.S. President Donald Trump is deliberately setting conditions he knows the European Union cannot meet in order to avoid imposing new sanctions on Russia.
The Gaze reports this, referring to The Wall Street Journal.
According to the outlet, Trump has signaled he would be ready to introduce sweeping restrictions against Moscow only if all NATO members followed suit and stopped importing Russian oil. Officials in Brussels are now scrambling to formulate a response.
Diplomats quoted by the WSJ said the U.S. president’s demands were designed to shield Washington from having to apply further economic pressure on the Kremlin.
Earlier this week, the EU postponed unveiling its latest sanctions package in an effort to craft tougher measures.
At the same time, Trump has urged Europe to deploy frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine – a position his administration has echoed publicly.
While EU officials have explored legal options, they have hesitated over concerns that seizing or reallocating such funds could undermine the bloc’s reputation.
Most of the immobilized Russian holdings are made up of government bonds from the EU, the United States, and the United Kingdom, kept at Euroclear, the Brussels-based securities depository.
Under one proposal, the EU would effectively lend these assets to Kyiv, guaranteeing Euroclear against any losses. Should Moscow refuse to pay reparations after the war, sanctions would simply be prolonged, preventing the funds from being returned to Russia.
One official involved in the talks described the scheme as akin to “a free and unlimited subscription to weapons.”
Recently, 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 previously reported, the European Commission is preparing its 19th package of sanctions against Russia, focusing on crypto assets, the banking sector and energy.