Trump ed Europa sono in contrasto su come sanzionare la Russia. L’UE cerca anche miliardi di dollari in attività russe congelate per la prima volta in conflitto

BERLIN—European governments had been pressuring President Trump to impose stronger sanctions on Russia. Then Trump flipped the script, challenging them to halt purchases of Russian oil and put tariffs on India and China.

Now, European leaders are struggling to come up with a response.

This week, they delayed a proposed package of sanctions against Russia to figure out how to toughen it up, according to diplomats.

After speaking to the president on Tuesday, the leader of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen**,** said the new sanctions proposal would hit Russia’s banking sector with extra restrictions and punish its crypto markets and energy sector.

Separately, Trump has called on Europe to make use of frozen Russian assets held in Belgium since the start of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, according to people familiar with the president’s calls with the bloc’s leaders. Trump administration officials have publicly called for the European Union to make use of the funds. Europeans have been considering ways to leverage the assets to support Kyiv after being reluctant to tap them for fear of damaging the bloc’s reputation as a destination for global capital.

Europe’s scramble for answers to Trump’s challenge illustrates the problems the 27-member bloc has in coordinating a response to a bellicose Russia after the U.S. stopped direct military aid to Ukraine. It also exposes how few tools the countries have, or are willing to use, to inflict pain on Moscow. Rounds of EU sanctions haven’t crippled the Russian war machine, and a European pledge to purchase U.S. weapons to help Kyiv in its defense has faced implementation delays. Some in the bloc still depend on Russian oil and gas.

Some European diplomats contend that Trump set out his demands knowing the EU wouldn’t meet them, which would allow him to avoid exerting more economic pressure on Russia.

Heeding Trump’s call for [stringent sanctions on China and India](https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/trump-pressed-eu-for-tariffs-on-china-india-in-russia-sanctions-talks-f53c790a?mod=article_inline) and ending purchases of Russian oil outright is a tough ask for Europe.

Von der Leyen said she would push for the EU to speed up its plan to end Russian oil and gas imports by 2027, but any move to stop energy imports would likely come up against the objections of Hungary and Slovakia, which are highly reliant on Russian imports. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s close ties to Trump could make him more amenable to Washington’s pressure. Much larger economies such as Germany, France and Italy are also buying Russian energy.

The bloc has ruled out using tariffs against India and China. It prefers to sanction firms and people who breach its restrictions, rather than using tariffs to put pressure on other countries, as Trump has. A number of Chinese firms are expected to be part of the new sanctions package. The EU sanctioned a major Indian refinery this summer, though new penalties against Indian firms are unlikely as Brussels seeks a free-trade agreement with India.

According to Zelensky, if there is no peace this year, then Ukraine needs from 60 billion dollars of aid for the war to the  next year.

Right. Seizing those assets will damage Europe´s reputation beyond repair. That´s probably what Trump wants.

Who would be doing the seizing anyway? The EU or the individual countries? If the latter I´m not to keen for my country to be potentially liable for € 200 billion.

A foolish and unprecedented move. The immediate consequences include a deterioration of relations between Russia and the EU, as well as a possible Russian response targeting European investments in Russian assets. They will be subject to countersanctions and recovery measures.

Estimates of European assets vary between €240–280 billion as of 2023. But this isn’t money belonging to the politicians making these decisions.

The success and functionality of any financial system depends 99.9% (if not 100%) on trust in legal institutions, regulation, and private property. And no one can do more damage to their own reputation than the European Union itself.

Get on it EU! Replace the revenue you are loosing from Trump’s tariffs with frozen Russian assets.