European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said that the European Union is prepared to coordinate its next round of sanctions on Russia with proposed American Congressional efforts to sanction Moscow.
The comments come from the EU’s policy Chief after a meeting on Monday with US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Monday. Senator Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D – D-Conn.) were in Kyiv last week to meet with Zelensky and announce ongoing support for Ukraine and an effort in the US Congress to push through new sanctions on Russia.
“We have discussed how we can implement European sanctions and American sanctions at the same time if Putin does not sit down at the negotiating table,” Von der Leyen said in an interview with Politico on Wednesday.
Europe’s 18th round of sanctions against Russia proposes to target Russia’s energy revenues by banning the Nord Stream gas pipelines, implementing a $45 price ceiling on Russian crude oil, and disconnecting more than 20 banks from the SWIFT international payment system, according to European Pravda.
Europe passed its 17th round of sanctions on Russia on May 20, but recent reporting shows that Europe has spent more money on Russian energy since the start of the full-scale invasion than it has provided to Ukraine as aid.
Meanwhile, efforts to increase sanctions on Russia have been moving slowly in the US Congress amid uncertain support from President Trump.
Lindsey Graham’s bill in the Senate has 81 cosponsors and would implement 500% tariffs on imports from any country purchasing sanctioned Russian oil, coal, gas, or uranium. The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives in April, and on Monday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said that he would like to see Russia sanctioned ‘as strongly as we can.’
Von der Leyen, speaking to reporters, said, “So if the Americans decide to impose sanctions, then the 500 percent will be included in this package.”
The current EU package does not envision sanctions in its current form, but Von der Leyen’s chief spokesperson, Paula Pinho, added, “The idea is to coordinate as much as possible. It cannot be identical.”
Last week in Kyiv, Senator Graham said to expect movement on the bill in the coming week, but as of Thursday, there has been no motion in either the US House of Representatives or the US Senate. The bill was last referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, both on April 1.
The congressional sanction efforts face at least two challenges: uncertain support from President Trump and the logistical difficulties of implementing 500% tariffs on countries in violation of the legislation.
When pressed about whether he would favor more sanctions, Trump refused to commit to concrete action against Russia, likening the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine to ‘children fighting’ in a school yard, in a press conference today at the Oval Office.
Even if the US Congress were to pass the legislation, including overriding a potential veto from Trump, 500% tariffs on countries that purchase sanctioned Russian energy and resources could have devastating effects on the global economy.
India, China, and Turkey are among the top importers of Russian oil, and recent efforts by Trump to implement trade tariffs against China resulted in a brief trade war that saw 145% tariffs on Chinese and US imports, effectively decoupling trade and roiling markets.
While Trump has pursued an aggressive tariff policy in his second term, Wall Street has recently coined a term to explain Trump’s capricious approach to tariff negotiations: ‘TACO’ (Trump Always Chickens Out).