EU Delays Next Round of Sanctions Against Russia Amid US Pressure

There has been a postponement in the presentation of the next series of sanctions against Russia by the European Commission, according to EU officials. This move comes as the Union grapples to determine its stance on the U.S. administration’s demand for a rapid discontinuation of Russian oil and gas purchases. Previously, expectations pointed towards the Commission revealing a 19th wave of sanctions, thought to encompass Russian banking institutions, Moscow’s clandestine fleet used to avoid these very regulations, and additional measures to halt elusion via third-party countries. Yet, amid this predicament, a new schedule hasn’t been proposed for the discourse on these proposed measures.

The U.S. President, Donald Trump, in recent times, has ratcheted up the pressure on the bloc. His aim is to coerce the European Union to cut off monetary inflow from energy to Moscow, with the overarching intent of resolving the conflict in Ukraine. For Moscow, its energy exports are the primary income-generating resource, which are allegedly financing the contentious war.

The White House is insisting on the EU to enact hefty trade tariffs on India and China – the nations that are the largest consumers of Russian oil. Additionally, the U.S. is pressing Europe to halt importing Russian energy. The European Union’s plan already involves the cessation of Russian oil and gas acquisitions by January 1, 2028. This initiative pursued by the Union deems itself as ambitious and concurrently, aims to prevent any sudden increases in energy costs or shortages in supply for EU nations.

However, the U.S. capital, Washington, is advocating for the Union to expedite this move. The U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, stated in the early week that the U.S. administration doesn’t hold intentions of slapping additional tariffs on products from China to thwart China’s procurement of Russian oil. This statement, however, holds the caveat that European nations impose hefty punitive duties on China and India as well.

European authorities have noted that it would be unlikely for the bloc to impose extreme tariffs on India or China, intimating a separate treatment of tariffs compared to sanctions. As one EU diplomat shared with Reuters, handling the complex demands from Trump remains a difficult task. These demands, though intentionally immoderate, ultimately require EU to confront and explore ways to navigate around them in order not to have the responsibility shifted entirely onto the Union.