WASHINGTON, April 26โ – Teh United states is prepared toโ impose furtherโข sanctions โon Russia in an effort to compelโ a resolution โto the conflict inโข Ukraine, but is first seekingโข a coordinated increase in โpressure from European allies, according to senior U.S. officials.
The Biden governance believes aโ unified and intensified sanctions โregime is crucialโ toโ limiting โฃRussia’sโ ability to finance and โsustain its war effort.โ While Washington has already โlevied a sweeping array ofโฃ economic penalties,officials say maximizing the โคimpact requires broader participation โand stricter enforcement from European nations,some โฃof whom are more reliant on Russian energy supplies. This approach reflectsโ a strategic calculation that maximizing economic pain onโ Moscow necessitates a transatlantic consensus.
The push for greaterโค European alignment comes as Ukraine continues to plead forโ increased military and financialโค assistance from its Western partners. The conflict, now in its third โyear, has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties and triggered a major humanitarian crisis, displacing millions of ukrainians. The U.S. and its allies haveโ provided billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, but officials โacknowledge thatโ a lastingโฃ resolution hinges on curtailing Russia’s capacity to wage war.
“We are constantly evaluating new sanctions authorities and targets,” a senior administration official told Reuters. โข”Butโฃ the most effective path forward isโข one where we areโ acting in lockstep with our allies. That multiplies the effect.”
Discussions with Europeanโข counterparts are focused onโฃ closing loopholes in existing sanctions, targetingโ key sectors of the Russian economy – including energy, finance,โฃ and technology – and disruptingโฃ Russia’s access to โคcritical goods and services. Some European officials haveโข expressed concerns about the potential economicโข fallout from stricter measures, particularly regarding energy supplies.
The U.S. is workingโ to address these concerns by exploring choice energy sources and providing economic support to mitigate the impact of sanctions. The administration maintains that the long-term costsโข of allowing Russia to continue itsโ aggression โฃin Ukraine far outweigh the โคshort-term โeconomic challenges.
