Ukraine is calling on the European Union to take bold new actions against Russia, as U.S. President Donald Trump holds back from tightening American sanctions. Kyiv is set to present a detailed 40-page white paper to the EU next week, urging the 27-member bloc to act more independently and firmly against Moscow.
The document suggests several aggressive steps, including speeding up the seizure of Russian assets and redirecting them to Ukraine. It also proposes introducing secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil—such as India and China—something the EU has hesitated to do. These actions would increase pressure on Russia beyond Europe’s borders and target foreign companies that help Russia using European technology.
Another major point in Ukraine’s plan is a call for the EU to move away from the current requirement of unanimous agreement on sanctions. Instead, it encourages more majority-rule decision-making to avoid blockages from individual member states.
Tensions rose after President Trump, following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, decided not to move forward with fresh U.S. sanctions. Despite this, the EU and the UK imposed new sanctions on Tuesday and signaled they are prepared to continue with or without U.S. backing.
The Ukrainian white paper praises the EU’s past sanctions but warns that the U.S. has stepped back from leadership. It states Washington has withdrawn from many international sanctions efforts and reassigned key experts to other roles.
Ukraine worries that the U.S. retreat could weaken EU unity. However, Kyiv urges Europe to take the lead, warning that now is not the time to relax pressure.
“This moment should catalyse the EU,” the paper concludes, calling for Europe to stand firm and keep economic pressure on Moscow—no matter what Washington does.
