EU envoy in Washington for talks on Russia sanctions, Commission says

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BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union’s sanctions envoy David O’Sullivan was in Washington with a team of experts to discuss further sanctions against Russia with U.S. counterparts, the European Commission said on Monday.

On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was ready to move to a second phase of restrictions, the closest he has come to suggesting he is on the verge of boosting sanctions against Moscow over its war in Ukraine.

EU Council President Antonio Costa said new sanctions were being closely coordinated with the U.S., and EU officials are hopeful of better cooperation after several disappointments early in the year as Trump pursued his own peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin instead.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said late on Monday that he had met with O’Sullivan and that all options were on the table as part of Trump’s “strategy to support peace negotiations”.

“We are willing to take strong measures against Russia, but our European partners must fully join us in this to be successful,” Bessent said on X.

The United States has not joined other Group of Seven nations in lowering the price cap on Russian crude oil before sanctions are levied to $47.60 a barrel. However, Trump has announced steep tariffs on U.S. imports from India in part due to its major Russian energy purchases.

The EU is currently drafting a 19th package of Russia sanctions, which EU diplomats said was likely to include more listings of Chinese companies, Russian banks and vessels in Moscow’s sanctions-evading “shadow fleet”, as well as a transaction ban on Russian oil.

The Kremlin said on Monday that no sanctions would ever force Russia to change course.

(Reporting by Bart Meijer, Julia Payne, Jan Strupczewski, Kate Abnett and Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Christopher Cushing)