Report: German Foreign Ministry report reveals discrepancies between EU and US on sanctions against Russia
Kyiv • UNN
According to media reports, EU-US talks on combating evasion of sanctions against Russia have failed. An EU special representative announced a break in communications with the American side.
An internal document of the German Foreign Ministry shows that Europeans and Americans are no longer moving in the same direction when it comes to imposing economic sanctions against Russia, Suddeutsche Zeitung reports, UNN writes.
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"It will be financially painful for Russia," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on ARD on Sunday evening. New sanctions against Russia are on the threshold, the 18th package of EU sanctions is being prepared, because in recent days Moscow has again brought death and destruction to Ukrainian cities instead of peaceful negotiations, the publication writes.
"There will be a clear reaction from the West and, I think, also from the United States of America," Wadephul said.
"It seems that the hopes of Europeans for joint action with the Americans against the Russian aggressor will once again not come true," the publication notes.
According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR and WDR, "negotiations with the US on joint efforts to combat Moscow's evasion of sanctions have failed." This, as indicated, is stated in the internal report of the German Foreign Ministry on the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, which took place on May 20 in Brussels. According to the confidential document, EU Special Envoy for Sanctions David O'Sullivan complained about the complete disruption of transatlantic coordination on sanctions evasion. Therefore, there is no longer any "joint coverage". Cooperation in the G7 has also "lost momentum" in this plan.
According to tagesschau, according to the EU Special Envoy for Sanctions, "all channels of communication with the American side regarding sanctions evasion have been severed."
"How Europeans and Americans are going to agree on a further package of sanctions in these circumstances is a mystery. Especially since there are experts who believe that Trump would like to resume cooperation with Russia as soon as possible," the publication says.
The next EU sanctions, according to the German Foreign Ministry document, are likely to target the energy and banking sectors of Russia. Only Hungary rejects this and once again demonstrates "no desire to compromise". After the experience of the last few weeks, it is also doubtful whether the US government will participate, the publication writes.