EU sends delegation to US to prepare joint sanctions on Russia – POLITICO

A spokesperson for the Commission told POLITICO the delegation would be led by David O’Sullivan, the EU’s sanctions envoy.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU’s 19th package of sanctions against Russia — designed “to bring President Putin to the negotiation table” — would be unveiled in early September.

Ukraine and its allies have long called for the U.S. to follow suit and inflict more punishing sanctions on Moscow in a bid to drain Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war chest. 

Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump set a two-week deadline for the Kremlin to end its invasion of Ukraine or else face “massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both” — but he has yet to pull the trigger.

The Republican leader did hit India with steep 50 percent tariffs as punishment for buying Russian oil, but the White House has yet to back the 500 percent secondary tariffs proposed by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham on Moscow’s trading partners.

This story has been updated with confirmation the EU’s sanctions envoy will be traveling with the delegation.