The European Union’s “Mr. Sanctions” will meet U.S. officials in Washington on Monday following President Donald Trump’s call to tighten the noose around Russia, a European official said.
The EU’s special envoy for sanctions, David O’Sullivan, is set to begin discussions Monday evening on new sanctions against Russia after threats issued over the weekend by the U.S. administration, according to the official, who requested anonymity. Talks are expected to continue on Tuesday, the same source added.
Asked Sunday at the White House whether he was ready to launch a new round of sanctions against Russia, the U.S. president replied: “Yes, I am.”
“I’m not happy. I’m not happy with the situation overall,” Mr. Trump later insisted when pressed by reporters about Sunday morning’s attack.
Between Saturday night and Sunday morning, Russia launched 810 drones and 13 missiles at Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s air force. It was the largest air attack since the war began in February 2022.
On Sunday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States was “ready to ramp up the pressure” on Russia, calling on Europeans to do the same.
For its part, the EU is preparing a 19th package of sanctions, which could target certain countries buying Russian hydrocarbons, according to diplomats in Brussels.
Donald Trump has specifically threatened to crack down on countries that purchase Russian hydrocarbons in order to undermine the financing of its war effort, and has already hit India with steep tariffs for that reason.
