A team of European officials led by EU sanctions envoy David O'Sullivan is set to meet with the US Treasury on Monday to explore new ways of tightening economic pressure on Russia. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had already spoken with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday, The Associated Press reported citing a person familiar with the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The call came shortly after Vice President JD Vance's conversation with her a day earlier which set the stage for the Washington talks, the report added.
Trump's struggle to end the Ukraine war
The meeting comes at a tense moment as President Donald Trump grows increasingly frustrated by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fourth year. Despite holding a high-profile summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last month, Trump has failed to convince Putin to engage in direct peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His self-imposed August deadline for Moscow to end its invasion has already expired.
Russia escalates attacks despite talks
Since the Alaska summit, Russia has intensified military action, including a rare drone and missile strike on western Ukraine that hit an American-owned electronics plant. This escalation has angered Trump, though he has so far stopped short of imposing additional sanctions on Moscow. During his Oval Office meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, Trump remarked that Putin's choices would determine future actions by Washington, warning that consequences could follow if the US is "unhappy" with Russia's course.
Focus on energy and trade pressure
The US delegation at Monday's meeting is expected to include senior officials from the White House, State Department and US Trade Representative's office. On the European side, specialists in energy, sanctions, financial services and trade will participate. Trump has been particularly vocal about Europe's reliance on Russian energy, claiming that Moscow earned 1.1 billion euros from EU fuel sales in a single year. He has also urged European nations to halt such purchases immediately.
Trump pushes to target China's role
Beyond Russia, Trump has also stressed that Europe must confront China for indirectly funding Moscow's war effort. According to a White House official, Trump pressed European leaders to place economic pressure on Beijing during recent private talks, though the official was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.
Europe weighs peacekeeping force in Ukraine
Even as Washington and Brussels coordinate, European leaders have continued independent consultations and pledged to consider deploying a peacekeeping force in Ukraine. However, Moscow has strongly rejected the idea. On Friday, Putin warned that any foreign troops deployed in Ukraine during Russia's ongoing invasion would be treated as "legitimate targets."
(With inputs from AP)
ALSO READ: Donald Trump reaffirms 'friendship' with PM Modi, calls India-US ties very special | Video
