European diplomats are preparing to strengthen sanctions against Russia, anticipating that the return of former US President Donald Trump could undermine the West's efforts to isolate Moscow, sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters. The EU considers it necessary to maintain European sanctions in the long term, strengthening them through stricter enforcement, even if Washington changes course in the event of Trump's re-election.
"If a Trump presidency lifts US sanctions against Russia, Europeans will have to act much more decisively and no longer hide behind Uncle Sam," said Tom Keating, a staff member at the Royal Institute think tank.
During the election campaign, Trump unequivocally hinted that if he wins the election on November 5, he will stop or sharply slow down military aid to Ukraine and may lift sanctions.
Among the new measures are "comprehensive" provisions for identifying and stopping suspicious goods shipments intended for Russia. This clause would allow customs officials to detain shipments if the destination seems illogical, such as crossing Russia for delivery to Central Asian countries.
There is also discussion of abandoning the need to regularly confirm the freezing of the Russian Central Bank's assets, replacing six-month intervals with 36-month ones, ensuring the long-term nature of the sanctions. The assets amount to about 300 billion dollars, most of which are in Europe.
It is expected that at least 45 maritime vessels will be included in the EU sanctions list, as sanctions against specific tankers, according to European officials, are the best way to hit Russian oil revenues.
Several countries, as well as the European Commission, are eager to further restrict the import of other energy carriers from Russia, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), which has increased in recent months.
The EU also wants to expand the application of the "Russia ban clause" in the next round of sanctions. This will require EU companies' subsidiaries in third countries to prohibit the re-export of certain goods to Russia, including dual-use goods for military purposes, as well as ammunition and firearms.
As noted by Reuters, the implementation of these plans will have to wait until the end of the year, when Poland takes over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU. It will replace Hungary, which has delayed the introduction of sanctions and has been sabotaging aid to Ukraine.
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