EU Joins Trump In Heaping More Sanctions On Russia To Push Putin Into Ukraine Peace Talks

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union imposed more economic sanctions on Russia on Thursday, adding to new punitive measures taken by U.S. President Donald Trump against the Russian oil industry the day before.

This is an extended effort to block financed revenue. Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and forcing President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war.

The steps are a victory for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has long campaigned for the international community to more thoroughly punish Russia for its attack on his country.

In Brussels, where EU countries attending the summit announced the latest round of sanctions on Russia, the Ukrainian leader said, “We expected this. God forbid, it will work. And this is very important.”

EU measures target Russian oil and gas Russian shadow fleet Hundreds of aging tankers and Russia’s financial sector evading sanctions. In addition, a new system will be introduced to limit the movement of Russian diplomats within the EU, which consists of 27 countries.

Zelenskyy called on more countries to punish Russia. “This is a good signal to other countries in the world to join the sanctions,” he told reporters in Brussels.

Senior officials in Europe and the United States have been arguing for months about how best to increase pressure on the Kremlin.

It took almost a month for the new EU measures to be decided. The bloc of 27 countries has already slapped 18 packs Sanctions could be put in place against Russia over the war, but it could take weeks to reach a final agreement on who and what to target. Moscow has also proven adept at evading sanctions.

US sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil came after Trump said plans for a quick meeting with Putin had been put on hold because he did not want it to be a “waste of time”; It was the latest development in Trump’s hot and cold efforts to end the war after Putin refused to back down on his demands.

Putin appeared to be speaking on Wednesday reminding the public of Russia’s atomic arsenal. guided drills the country’s strategic nuclear forces.