European officials held a meeting at the US Treasury Department where they discussed new tools for economic pressure on Russia. It was about the possible introduction of additional sanctions and tariffs on the import of Russian oil, reports Associated Press.
During the meeting, the American side emphasized that US President Donald Trump is ready to take decisive action to end the war, but counts on the full support of European partners in any further steps.
The negotiations lasted less than two hours. Among the key topics were tariff policy, the need for concerted action in the area of sanctions, and the future of Russian sovereign assets, frozen mainly in Europe.
The meeting was attended by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, representatives of the White House, the State Department and the US Trade Representative’s office. The European delegation was formed by experts in the fields of energy, sanctions policy, financial services and trade. Consultations are expected to continue on Tuesday.
Scott Bessent stressed that the United States and the EU remain united in their efforts to stop the war in Ukraine, and all options for further action remain open:
“We are ready to take decisive action against Russia, but European partners must fully join us to succeed. I made this clear today during a meeting with the European Commission’s envoy for sanctions, David O’Sullivan”.
