EU must take Russia sanctions into 'its own hands,' commissioner says
The European Union must take greater control of its sanctions policy against Russia as U.S. priorities shift, EU Economy and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Feb. 18.
"With the current Trump administration, the EU will need to take issues related to the bloc's security more into its own hands. That also concerns sanctions policy," Dombrovskis said during a meeting with journalists in Brussels.
The commissioner added that work on preparing the 16th package of sanctions against Russia is ongoing.
His remarks come as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted that the EU would eventually need to be involved in discussions over sanctions relief as part of ongoing talks with Russia.
"The European Union is going to have to be at the table at some point because they have sanctions as well," Rubio said after U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia.
A Russian delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held face-to-face negotiations with a U.S. delegation in Riyadh, marking the first direct talks between the two sides since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Group of Seven (G7) nations agreed to link any future tightening of sanctions against Russia to the progress of upcoming peace negotiations on Feb. 15.
The EU approved its 15th sanctions package against Moscow on Dec. 16. The package targeted 54 individuals and 30 organizations from Russia, China, and North Korea, as well as shipping companies facilitating Russia's crude oil sales.
