Trump set unrealistic demands for Europe to avoid sanctions on Russia, WSJ says
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump appears to have deliberately set demands for the European Union that the bloc cannot meet. This allows him to avoid imposing new sanctions on Russia, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Some European diplomats told the outlet’s journalists that they are confident Trump’s demand for EU countries to stop buying Russian energy was made intentionally.
They believe Trump knew in advance that EU countries would either be unable or unwilling to comply with his demand. Since Trump requires all EU nations to stop purchasing Russian oil, failing to meet the demand would allow him to avoid increasing economic pressure on Russia.
Trump’s demands and the oil situation
Recently, Trump said the United States is ready to impose serious sanctions on Russia, provided NATO countries stop buying Russian energy. The US President criticized Europe for insufficiently tough sanctions against Russia and for continuing to purchase Russian oil.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in turn, said she proposes to accelerate the gradual phase-out of fuel imports from Russia. Her statement came after a conversation with US President Donald Trump.
Poland has joined this position, calling on EU countries to stop importing Russian oil by the end of 2026 to cut funding for Russia’s military machine and help Ukraine end the war.
However, in reality, the EU is unlikely to abandon Russian oil and gas even by 2027. The bloc had initially planned a full phase-out by 2028 but had to accelerate due to Trump’s demands. Further acceleration is currently simply impossible.
