EU's Solo Move: Tightening the Screws on Russia

The European Union is taking a stand. It's planning to hit Russia with new sanctions. The goal? To push Vladimir Putin into accepting a 30-day truce in Ukraine. This move comes despite the United States not joining in right now. It's a bold step, but it's not without challenges. Hungary is firmly against it, and there's a lack of teamwork with Washington. The EU's plan includes lowering the price cap on Russian oil. This could be tough to pull off without the US on board. The European Commission is working on what would be the 18th round of sanctions. Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission's president, talked about this after a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. She believes it's time to ramp up the pressure on Russia. Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative, agrees. She thinks the EU has no choice but to keep pushing, even if it's hard to get everyone on board. There's a bit of a divide between the US and the EU. The US had been talking tough about sanctions, but then Trump had a chat with Putin. After that, Trump said he wouldn't impose new sanctions. He's hoping the phone call will lead to some progress. Meanwhile, the EU is forging ahead with its plans. Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said Europe will keep up the pressure on Moscow. Zelenskyy, who was also on the call, backed stronger sanctions if Russia doesn't stop the fighting. The EU is targeting Russia's banking sector, the Nord Stream pipelines, and more with these new sanctions. They're also looking at lowering the price cap on Russian oil. This cap was set by the G7 at $60 per barrel, but Russia has been selling above that. The EU wants to bring down that price to cut into Russia's earnings. But they'll need the US and other G7 partners to agree to that. Trump's decision not to impose new sanctions could make that harder. There's also a difference in how the US and the EU see the future. Trump wants to resume economic ties with Russia once sanctions are lifted. The EU, however, wants sanctions to stay until Russia pulls out of Ukraine and pays for the damage. The EU is even planning to stop all imports of Russian energy by the end of 2027. It's a big change, but it shows how serious they are about pushing back against Russia.