The European Union is developing another, 17th, package of sanctions against Russia and is coordinating the introduction of new restrictions with the US authorities. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot made this statement after a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Thursday.
“We, the Europeans, will support this American initiative with the 17th package of sanctions, and I promised [Senator] Lindsey Graham that we will try to coordinate these two packages of sanctions both in content and in terms of timing,” the French Foreign Minister told Agence France-Presse.
A day earlier, Republican Senator Graham said that the upper house of the US parliament would support the introduction of “crushing” sanctions if Moscow refused to stop the war against Ukraine. According to him, the law provides for sanctions against both the Russian Federation and a 500 percent customs duty for countries purchasing oil, gas and uranium from the Kremlin.
The document received the support of 72 senators, which will allow it to overcome a possible veto by President Donald Trump. “Putin would make a big mistake if he tried to play along with Trump,” Graham said, noting that the law will be a tool that will force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table.
Barrot also said that the new European sanctions are aimed at increasing pressure on Moscow if it refuses to agree to a ceasefire. According to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin “has made no effort” and has not given any signals of readiness to achieve peace with Ukraine.
“I think it is now absolutely clear that the only obstacle to peace in Ukraine is Vladimir Putin,” the head of the French Foreign Ministry emphasized. He also said that Ukraine had “fulfilled its end of the bargain,” referring to Kyiv’s agreement to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had spoken about.