The European Union is sending a delegation to Washington to prepare new joint sanctions against Russia. This was stated on Friday by the President of the European Council, António Costa, as reported by UNN with reference to Politico.
"We are working with the United States and other like-minded partners to intensify our pressure through further direct and secondary sanctions," Costa said at a press conference in the western Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod after a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Costa added that "a European team is going to Washington, D.C., to work with our American friends," but did not disclose who would participate in the delegation. His spokesperson directed POLITICO to the European Commission, which did not respond to a request for comment.
Additionally
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the 19th package of EU sanctions against Russia, designed "to bring President Putin to the negotiating table," will be presented in early September.
Ukraine and its allies have long urged the US to follow suit and impose tougher sanctions on Moscow in an effort to deplete Russian President Vladimir Putin's war chest.
Last month, US President Donald Trump gave the Kremlin a two-week deadline to cease its invasion of Ukraine, or face "massive sanctions or massive tariffs, or both," but he has yet to pull the trigger.
The Republican leader did impose high 50% tariffs on India as punishment for buying Russian oil, but the White House has yet to endorse the 500% secondary tariffs proposed by US Senator Lindsey Graham on Moscow's trading partners.