Berlin wants US backing for the restrictions, though Washington is reportedly unlikely to support the measures
Germany has said it supports new EU sanctions against Russia in the energy sector, following a phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Berlin wants Washington to support the restrictions, though Trump is reportedly reluctant to ramp up pressure on Moscow.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said Berlin “supports the elements [of sanctions] related to Nord Stream,” adding: “It is, of course, also crucial that the US will accompany a potential sanctions package.”
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines connecting Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea have been inactive since 2022 due to EU sanctions and sabotage, which Russia insists was orchestrated by Western intelligence agencies.
Last week, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the next round of EU sanctions would target Russia’s financial sector, a fleet of ships used to bypass oil bans, and the Nord Stream system. The goal, she said, is to compel Moscow to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine.
Moscow has stated that it is open to a ceasefire “in principle,” but has expressed concerns that it would only benefit Ukraine and allow its battered forces to regroup. Russia has also said it considers the Western sanctions illegal, while noting that the country’s economy has long been accustomed to Western pressure.
The comments by the German official come after a highly anticipated two-hour phone call between Putin and Trump.
Putin described the call as “substantive and quite candid,” adding that Russia is ready to work with Kiev on drafting a memorandum on a potential future peace agreement. Trump described the call as “excellent,” noting that “Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire and, more importantly, an end to the war.”
European leaders were “stunned” by Trump’s response, the Financial Times reported, citing a source familiar with the matter. It added that the US president is apparently “not ready to put greater pressure” on Putin and did not make any promises regarding future punitive action.
FT sources also said Trump made it clear that “he would pull the US back from engaging with the conflict and leave Ukraine and Russia to directly negotiate a ceasefire.”
Read the full article here