Europe and the US are moving closer to tougher sanctions on Russia after Trump’s warning of new punitive action. EU envoy David O’Sullivan met American officials to present the bloc’s 19th sanctions package targeting Moscow’s oil revenues.
Europe’s top sanctions envoy held talks with US officials on Monday as Washington and Brussels weighed tougher economic measures against Moscow, following President Donald Trump’s warning of new punitive action over Russia’s largest air assault on Ukraine. David O’Sullivan, the European Union’s sanctions envoy, met American counterparts to outline the bloc’s 19th package of measures designed to cripple Russia’s war capabilities, the European Commission confirmed. The upcoming sanctions are expected to directly target Moscow’s oil revenues, a critical source of funding for its war effort.
EU Council President Antonio Costa stressed that the latest package is being developed in close coordination with Washington. His comments came a day after Trump announced that his administration was prepared to move forward with a second phase of restrictions on Russia.
EU-US: United Front Against Russia
Costa expressed optimism that the United States and Europe could present a united front against Russian President Vladimir Putin. He pointed out that Trump had previously avoided joint efforts earlier this year, pursuing his own peace initiatives with Moscow instead.
The United States has been a notable outlier among G7 nations, declining to support a reduction of the price cap on Russian crude oil, which currently stands at $47.60 per barrel. That stance had set Washington apart from European partners who pushed for stricter measures in previous rounds of sanctions.
US Pushes for Stronger Joint Measures
With Trump now calling for a fresh wave of restrictions, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled on Sunday that Washington and Brussels could work in tandem to undermine Russia’s energy sales and further damage its economy.
“We are prepared to increase pressure on Russia, but we need our European partners to follow us,” Bessent said in an interview on NBC News.
“We are in a race now between how long can the Ukrainian military hold up versus how long can the Russian economy hold up,” he added.
“And if the US and the EU can come in, do more sanctions, secondary tariffs on the countries that buy Russian oil, the Russian economy will be in total collapse, and that will bring President Putin to the table.”
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