Some EU diplomats have accused US President Donald Trump of trying to evade sanctions against Russia by imposing unreasonable demands on Europe. The Wall Street Journal reported this.
Recently, Trump stated that he would impose sanctions on Russia only if all NATO members first implement sanctions and if they stop buying Russian energy resources.
Some diplomats believe that Trump deliberately set such conditions, knowing that the EU would not be able to meet them, which would allow him to avoid additional sanctions against Russia. In particular, the EU postponed the presentation of a sanctions package against Russia in order to adopt tougher measures.
Europe is considering the use of frozen Russian assets
In support of calls for Europe to use frozen RF assets, Trump also urged Europe to consider the possibility of using these assets. European governments are considering this possibility, but they are concerned about the potential repercussions for their reputation.
Frozen Russian assets, mainly state securities, are held in the Belgian depository Euroclear. European governments plan to gain access to some of these funds already next year and may provide them to Ukraine as a loan, guaranteeing compensation in case Russia refuses to pay war reparations after the conflict ends.