European leaders are expected to visit the United States early next week to discuss strategies for ending the war in Ukraine, according to President Donald Trump. He indicated that he would soon have discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and mentioned a potential second phase of sanctions against Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky supported the notion of sanctions, advocating for European nations to cease their purchases of Russian energy. His comments follow Russia’s recent large-scale aerial bombardment of Ukraine, which resulted in fatalities and damage to Ukraine’s main government building in Kyiv. During this attack, Russia reportedly launched over 800 drones and 13 missiles.
Trump reported dissatisfaction with the ongoing situation and noted that individual European leaders are expected to arrive in the U.S., although it remains unclear which leaders he was referencing. Since a summit between Trump and Putin took place in Alaska last month, Russian attacks on Ukraine have intensified.
Zelensky has criticized European partners for continuing to buy oil and gas from Russia, asserting that such practices are “not fair.” He called for a halt to all energy purchases from Russia and emphasized the necessity of stopping any deals with the country in order to diminish its war efforts. He expressed approval of Trump’s proposed secondary tariffs on nations engaged in trade with Russia, considering it a strategic approach to undermine Moscow’s war funding.
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, it has reportedly generated around $985 billion (£729 billion) from oil and gas sales. China and India are among the largest purchasers, while the European Union has made efforts to significantly cut back on Russian energy imports, targeting a complete cessation by 2027.
The U.S. recently imposed a 50% tariff on goods from India due to its continued oil purchases from Russia. In response to the situation, Russia announced plans to increase gas supplies to China. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized the importance of EU support in implementing secondary tariffs on countries buying Russian oil, suggesting that such measures could potentially destabilize the Russian economy and prompt negotiations.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyrx205dj2o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss