Talks between U.S. and European officials on curbing Moscow’s sanctions evasion have reportedly broken down. The confidential document quotes EU Special Representative for Sanctions David O’Sullivan as stating that transatlantic coordination in this area has come to a complete halt.
“There are no longer any joint contacts,” the paper wrote, citing the memo. Coordination among G7 nations has also “lost momentum,” it added.
Against this backdrop, how the U.S. and EU intend to agree on a new round of sanctions remains unclear, Süddeutsche Zeitung noted. Some experts believe U.S. President Donald Trump would prefer to restore cooperation with Moscow as soon as possible.
Following a May 19 phone call with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Trump said he would not introduce new sanctions for now to allow room for negotiations.
Meanwhile, the European Union approved its 17th sanctions package against Russia on May 20, targeting nearly 200 vessels linked to Moscow’s shadow fleet.
That same day, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that threatening Russia with additional sanctions might push Moscow to walk away from ceasefire talks.
However, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stated that the U.S. Senate is prepared to vote on new sanctions legislation if no meaningful progress is made in talks to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
On May 25, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the latest wave of Russian strikes against Ukraine warrants a new round of Western sanctions.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump is now reportedly considering fresh sanctions against Russia this week, spurred by his growing frustration with Putin’s actions — particularly the large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities.