Ukraine war

EU and USA want “maximum pressure” on Putin

The Kremlin leader seems visibly crestfallen these days.

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The USA and the EU now want to take a particularly tough stance towards the aggressor Russia with regard to the war in Ukraine.

"They agreed that maximum pressure on Moscow must be maintained in order to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," an EU representative said on Tuesday after the first telephone conversation between EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and the new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Shortly afterwards, the EU Commission proposed punitive tariffs on further agricultural products from Russia. The tariffs would "likely have a negative impact on Russian export revenues and thus also on Russia's ability to wage its war of aggression against Ukraine", it said in a statement. However, the tariffs still have to be approved by the EU member states and the European Parliament.

The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

(Bild: AFP/Rebecca NOBLE )

Taking more responsibility
Regarding the phone call between Kallas and Rubio, the EU representative explained that the two chief diplomats had emphasized the importance of "strengthening cooperation between the EU and the US on key global issues, including Russia's war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the challenges posed by China". For her part, Kallas emphasized Europe's "increasing investment in defence" as well as the European "willingness to take on more responsibility" and the "importance of diversifying energy supplies".

Trump demands more defense spending from Europeans
More than a week after the new US President Donald Trump took office, the new administration's stance on Ukraine remains difficult to decipher. During the election campaign, Trump repeatedly criticized the extensive US military aid for Ukraine - but after taking office, he threatened Russia with additional sanctions if the country did not conclude a peace agreement. After his inauguration, Trump also threatened the EU member states with punitive tariffs, as this was the only way the USA would be "treated correctly". Trump also called on the Europeans to spend five percent of their annual economic output on defense. In December, Trump called on EU member states to import more oil and gas from the US in order to avoid tariffs.