European Union officials have lauded the Trump administration’s decision to sanction Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, calling it a sign of “collective pressure” on the Kremlin.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated she had spoken with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shortly before the announcement. She praised the new sanctions, highlighting them as a “clear signal from both sides of the Atlantic.”
The US move, the first major sanction of the new Trump administration, targets the core of Russia’s war funding. Bessent said the action was a response to Putin’s “senseless war” and his refusal to negotiate.
This new transatlantic alignment comes as the EU is preparing its own 19th sanctions package. The EU measures are expected to ban Russian LNG imports, blacklist “shadow fleet” tankers, and target Russian banks that help the Kremlin evade existing penalties.
The US action marks a significant pivot for the Trump administration, which had previously worried allies with its perceived ambiguity. This new, tougher stance, combined with the cancellation of a Trump-Putin summit, was hailed as a victory for Ukraine.