Europe Moves Toward Independence from the US on Ukraine

As the Trump administration moves toward an oil deal with Russia, the European Union is intensifying pressure on Moscow, reflecting a growing gap between Europe and the US over the war in Ukraine.

At the same time as the Trump administration moves towards an oil agreement with Russia, the European Union is intensifying pressure on Moscow; A trend that indicates the increasing distance between Europe and America regarding the war in Ukraine.

After the controversial oil deal between Trump and Putin, Germany and the European Union have taken a different position than Washington. Contrary to the US president, European countries are clearly emphasizing on intensifying the pressure against Russia and have promised to increase support for Ukraine; A country that has recently faced the pressures of Trump.

EU foreign ministers on Monday in Luxembourg decided on the EU's most severe sanctions package against Russia's war economy to date.

In the framework of this decision, the names of 1,600 individuals and companies

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadfel said the measures, including those targeting drone manufacturers, were also a response to Russia's increased coordinated attacks against EU members. He specifically mentioned the attempted attack at the Leipzig/Halle airport.

Wadful emphasized that the pressure on Russia will increase until Putin is ready to seriously negotiate peace in Ukraine. According to him, the message of these actions is clear: Russia cannot win this war.

EU foreign policy chief Kaya Callas also said the EU's decision should be seen as a stand against the Trump-Putin oil deal.

Callas and a number of foreign ministers of the European Union criticized Trump's decision and considered it to send the wrong message. Callas warned that lifting or suspending sanctions could provide Moscow with more revenue and help finance the war.

He added that ending the war is possible only by increasing the pressure on Russia.

EU foreign ministers also discussed proposals to limit the issuance of visas to Russian tourists and reduce the freedom of movement of Russian diplomats in member states.

Despite Europe's determination to intensify pressure, EU diplomats worry that Trump's new approach will undermine support for Kiev. Now, the majority of aid costs to Ukraine are covered by European countries; However, so far, part of these resources have been used to buy American weapons and send them to Ukraine.

According to diplomats, Trump has threatened to end organized NATO support and intelligence if Ukraine continues to attack Russian refineries.

Ukraine to counter missile attacks, especially on US-made weapons, including the Patriot missile defense system

Putin met with Witkoff and Kushner in the Kremlin; Trump's envoys have gone to Moscow with the aim of presenting a proposal to end the war in Ukraine and are scheduled to leave for Ukraine on Sunday.

The head of the Central Bank of Ukraine announced that the country has received about $200 billion in direct financial aid from international partners since the start of the war with Russia in February 2022. According to him, these supports are the result of consistent cooperation with Western allies and are part of investment for European security.

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service claimed that the European Union's proposal to start preliminary negotiations for Ukraine's membership was made with the aim of deceiving the public opinion of Kyiv and keeping this country in opposition to Moscow, and that Europe does not have the will and ability to fully accept Ukraine.