German media: Unreliable US, Ukraine hopes EU will further support Ukraine was clearly disappointed after Trump chose not to implement new sanctions on Russia following his phone call with Putin on Monday. It has been reported that Ukraine will propose a more severe sanctions plan targeting Russia to the EU. Amid the uncertainty of Washington's policies, Kiev hopes that the EU can assume new leadership responsibilities. According to an exclusive report by Reuters, Ukraine will ask the EU next week to consider taking significant new measures to isolate Moscow, including seizing Russian assets and implementing secondary sanctions on some oil-buying countries of Russia. Since Trump took office in January this year, he has changed the pro-Kyiv stance of the previous Biden administration, did not continue to increase sanctions on Moscow, but instead repeatedly criticized Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Trump spoke with Russian President Putin on Monday, May 19th, and subsequently chose not to impose new sanctions on Russia for the time being. This clearly disappointed Europe and Kyiv, who had been lobbying Trump to increase pressure on Moscow. Kiev hopes the EU will be "more proactive and independent" Faced with the uncertainty of Washington's policies, Reuters reported that Kyiv will submit a Ukrainian white paper to the EU. This white paper calls on the 27 EU member states to take a more proactive and independent stance on sanctions issues. This 40-page white paper recommends urging legislation to accelerate the EU's seizure of assets belonging to sanctioned individuals and transferring them to Ukraine. The document also suggests that the EU consider a series of measures to make its sanctions more effective beyond its territory, including targeting foreign companies helping Russia with their technology, as well as "secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil". Such secondary sanctions could impact large buyers like India and China. So far, Europe has not taken such secondary sanctions. While Trump once publicly discussed this option, he later decided against immediate action. In addition, the white paper also calls on the EU to consider using majority voting principles more in sanction decisions rather than unanimous consent to prevent individual member states from obstructing. The white paper stated that the EU has so far implemented "unprecedented" sanctions and emphasized its potential for further sanctions. Regarding this Ukrainian white paper, the European Commission has yet to respond to Reuters' request for comment. The white paper rarely adopts a harsh tone towards Washington A source told Reuters that Trump spoke with Ukrainian and European leaders after his call with Putin on Monday and informed them that he did not want to impose sanctions now, hoping to give negotiations time. The EU and the UK imposed additional sanctions on Russia on Tuesday and expressed hope that Washington would join the sanctions. However, European countries are also openly discussing how they can continue to pressure Moscow if Washington is no longer willing to participate. In February, Zelenskyy was severely criticized by Trump and Vice President Vance at the White House and accused of being "ungrateful", since then Ukraine has avoided any criticism of Washington in public. However, according to a Reuters report, this white paper provides a stern assessment of the commitment made by the Trump administration so far in coordinating efforts. The white paper wrote, "Today, Washington has actually ceased participation in almost all intergovernmental platforms focusing on sanctions and export controls." The document also stated that Washington has slowed down the work of the supervisory group overseeing the enforcement of the price cap on Russian oil, disbanded a federal task force focused on prosecuting violations of sanctions, and transferred many sanctions experts to other departments. The white paper mentioned that the US has drafted two potentially significant sanctions plans - one prepared by the government and the other by Senator Graham, who supports Trump. However, it is uncertain whether Trump will approve either of them. The document stated that the uncertainty of the US position has slowed the pace of economic countermeasures and multilateral coordination, but "should not prompt the EU to ease the pressure of sanctions." "Instead, it should prompt the EU to play a leading role in this area." "The cards in Europe's hands are much greater than imagined" Ukraine fears that Washington's withdrawal from the Western sanctions consensus may also lead to wavering in the EU, which traditionally requires consensus to make major decisions. A senior Ukrainian government official told Reuters that if the US withdraws from sanctions, it will cause a "huge blow" to the "unity of the EU". Moreover, even if the EU has the determination and willingness to impose sanctions on Russia, the EU cannot completely replace the important role the US plays in exerting economic pressure on Russia. The impact of US sanctions largely stems from the dominant position of the dollar in global trade, which the euro cannot compare to. Despite this, Russian energy expert Kennedy from Harvard University's Davis Center told Reuters that if Europe persists in its stance, the lifting of US sanctions on Russia will not result in a significant influx of foreign investment back into Russia. He said, "The cards in Europe's hands are much greater than imagined." Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832752630322251/ Disclaimer: The article represents the author's personal views.