How Europe Can Pressure Russia on Ukraine Without Trump, From Economic Sanctions to More Defense Spending

It seems that US president Donald Trump, who was wandering at his meeting in Alaska last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, had cools the idea of pressure on Moscow to end the war that started in Ukraine, despite Trump’s recent threats of “severe consequences” if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire.

Late on Sunday, Trump seemed to return to his virtual position of blame on Ukraine and its president, Voludmir Zellinski, for its invasion of its largest neighbor. “President Zelinski from Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or can continue to fight,” Trump said in the social media network.

US President Donald Trump, new off Alaska meeting Last week, it appears that Russian President Vladimir Putin may cool on the idea of pressure on Moscow to end the war that started in Ukraine, despite Trump’s recent threats from the “dire consequences” if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire.

Late on Sunday, Trump seemed to return to his virtual position of blame on Ukraine and its president, Voludmir Zellinski, for its invasion of its largest neighbor. “President Zelinski can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants, or can continue to fight,” Trump, Trump He said On his social media network.

But Europe has a lot of cards it plays in this conflict even if the Trump administration chooses to recover. The support team that joins Zelinski at the White House on Monday includes NATO presidents and the European Union, Finn Trump and EsbarAnd four of the most prominent national leaders in Europe. This raises the possibility that Ukraine and its largest supporters can pump some backbone into the US approach, if not some spine itself.

“I think the United States and Europe have all cards. They are not ready to play, and this is no more clear than the world of economic war,” said Tom Keiting, Director of Finance and Security at the Royal UK Services Institute.

“From the start, the G-7 allies talked about a difficult game, but they have never gone to the sanctions. We have retreated in every step on the road what we will need” to suffice sufficient economic pain on Russia by forcing Putin to restore calibration.

Now that it seems that the Trump administration has divided additional economic sanctions to pressure Russia in the ceasefire or an acceptable peace agreement, Europe may have to do so Go aloneIn the same way that you think about going alone with regard to providing Ukraine with security assistance, which can be in the absence of delivery from the Trump administration from weapons or military aid to Kiev.

“Europeans have had time to know how to take action, and there are many Europe that it can do on its own if it chooses to drop the hammer,” Kateing said.

This may start with the low fruit of further restricting Russia’s ability to smuggle crude oil to global markets using illegal carriers, so -called shadow fleet. The consecutive European Union and UK measures, as well as many by the Biden administration, have already taken many ships that were removed from black Russia from work and forced about half of them Oil exports in Russia To be made legally. Nevertheless, more work can be done more effective through the long term of the United States Treasury, Experts say. (The Trump administration has not been added to any of the Biden era sanctions on Russian oil tankers.)

The relevant step, even without the appointment of new carriers, is to increase Russia’s ability to use the Baltic Sea and the vital Danish strait to obtain oil to global markets. Some European countries have already have I took steps to Imposition of international law It has taken initial steps to reduce Russia’s ability to conflict Western sanctions.

Another long -term option for Europe is to seize nearly $ 220 billion in the reserves of the Russian Central Bank Already Three years ago from Europe and the United States. Fear of revenge on Russia and anxiety that such a seizure can undermine the euro appeal as a global backup currency that has remained the hand of the European Union member states, especially Belgium. But those frozen money can confirm years of Ukrainian weapons purchases and provides a batch offered on a half -trillion dollar reconstruction bill.

The problem over the past three years, during the Biden Administration and the Trump administration, and inciting it by Europe, is that Western countries hate to inflict pain on their own economies, even if this is what it takes to increase pressure on the Russian economy for a dangerous slow this year and possibly stagnant. Bayden and Trump’s departments aim to maintain the reasonable oil (and gasoline) prices, stating their ability to follow the main cash cow in Russia.

Until Trump’s last threats, from the novel Secondary definitions on India To punish him to buy large quantities of Russian oil, which the West had previously urged to buy to maintain the global oil market constant, it may not pass for fear of high oil prices. (“Maybe I will not have to do this,” Trump Now he says From his last threat was not fulfilled.)

The biggest task in the short term of Zelinski and the Europeans who simply support him may make Trump understand the reality of the war in Ukraine and the challenge posed by Putin’s imperial ambitions. This includes the latest to speak in his ear.

“The reason for [Europeans] It is going together is to send a message that this is not only related to Ukraine, but rather to European security. This affects Europe much more than affecting the United States.

She emphasized that the European footnote to Zelinski is designed both to strengthen Ukraine and provide a unified front, but also to give Trump concrete evidence that Europe has been doing what he has requested for a long time: intensifying defensive spending to take over the security burden in Europe, both and for Ukraine. (Even countries that formally prohibit military aid to Ukraine, such as Slovakia, do gangsters Selling weapons To Kyiv.)

“If you want to keep the United States on the plane and be a serious representative, what cards do you play, not only on sanctions but also on weapons?” Copzova said. “This is an important message for Trump and Putin as well.”