European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated today that the European Union is prepared to impose sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin at the same time as the United States, with the aim of increasing pressure on him to engage in peace negotiations.
“We discussed how we can implement European and American sanctions simultaneously against Putin if he does not come to the negotiating table,” she said, as reported by Politico.
The EU is currently preparing its 18th package of sanctions against Russia. According to Von der Leyen, the focus is on the Russian energy sector and cutting off sources of Russian funding.
The upcoming sanctions are expected to include measures against companies linked to the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany, as well as lower price caps on Russian oil.
Following a meeting with U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, the Commission President said she was pleased with his plans to increase pressure on Russia.
According to a sanctions bill co-drafted by Graham, a 500% tariff would be imposed on imports from countries that continue to buy Russian fossil fuels and other products.
“This means that if the Americans decide to impose sanctions, then these 500% tariffs will be included in their package,” said the EU official.
