US President Donald Trump indicated he will not support further sanctions on Russia at the G7 summit, suggesting that European countries should act first and citing the financial cost of sanctions to the United States.
At the G7 summit in Canada, US President Donald Trump said he would not back additional sanctions on Russia at this time, instead urging European nations to implement new measures first. Trump stated, “Let’s see them do it first,” and added, “sanctions cost us a lot of money — a tremendous amount of money.”
Both the European Union and the United Kingdom have called for greater coordination on sanctions against Russia at the summit, but Trump has so far declined to join the push for fresh action. When asked if he was united with Europe on new sanctions over Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Trump replied, “well Europe is saying that, but they haven't done it yet.”
Trump emphasized the economic impact of sanctions on the US, saying, “When I sanction a country, that costs the U.S. a lot of money — a tremendous amount of money. It's not just, let's sign a document. You're talking about billions and billions of dollars. Sanctions are not that easy. It's not just a one-way street.” He also noted his intention to focus on advancing stalled peace talks before considering further punitive measures.
The EU is advocating for a reduction in the price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $45 per barrel. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “We must put more pressure on Russia to secure a real cease-fire, to bring Russia to the negotiating table and to end this war, sanctions are critical to that end.”
Macron remains hopeful
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that he still believes Washington could support tougher sanctions against Russia. Macron said he discussed the issue with Trump, who assured him that the US would not block new sanctions being proposed by Republican lawmakers. “This is very good news for me,” Macron commented.
Trump left the Kananaskis G7 gathering a day early, missing a scheduled meeting between the G7 leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The European Commission continues to press for the G7 countries to agree to a lower oil price cap as a key sanction against President Vladimir Putin’s regime. Macron praised the proposal, stating, “If, in the coming weeks, the Europeans and Americans jointly impose these sanctions, the situation will truly be transformed, because the ability of the Russian economy to resist will really be called into question.”
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