European Commission President Announces Approval of New Sanctions Package Against Russia

One day after high-level talks between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, the President of the European Commission announced that a new and significant sanctions package against Moscow will be approved in the coming days. The presentation of the new sanctions package by the European Union against Russia is another indication of the evident tension between European powers and the U.S. regarding negotiations with Russia. Ukraine and European powers have described the talks held in Riyadh as 'bypassing' Kyiv and preemptively conceding to Russia. The President of Ukraine stated on Wednesday, March 1, that the U.S. is 'helping (Vladimir) Putin' by negotiating with Russia, adding that he cannot 'sell his country.' On the other hand, a day after the Riyadh meeting, the Kremlin confirmed the possibility of a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in the next 10 days. Just hours before the Kremlin spokesperson's remarks, Donald Trump also mentioned the likelihood of meeting his Russian counterpart in the coming days. Details of the extensive sanctions package against Russia: The President of the European Commission wrote in a social media post on Wednesday that more ships from Vladimir Putin's 'phantom fleet' will be sanctioned and new bans on aluminum imports from Russia will be approved. According to Ursula von der Leyen, 73 Russian ships are set to be placed on Europe's blacklist. The new sanctions package from the European Union against Russia, which is the sixteenth package since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, will also remove 13 more Russian banks from participating in the global payment system 'SWIFT' and prohibit eight more Russian media outlets from broadcasting in Europe. Ms. von der Leyen emphasized that the European Union considers itself 'committed to continuing pressure on the Kremlin.' This sanctions package is scheduled to be officially approved on Monday, March 6, coinciding with the start of the fourth year of Russia's attack on Ukraine. Decisions by the European Union must be made by consensus among member states. Hungary, whose leader Viktor Orban is an ally of Donald Trump, expressed dissatisfaction at not being invited to recent European leaders' meetings regarding Ukraine. However, AFP reported on Wednesday, citing European diplomats, that the foreign ministers of EU member states had reached a consensus in their previous discussions regarding new sanctions against Russia. The European Union is concerned that a peace agreement that Washington is negotiating with Moscow may not consider Ukraine's interests. U.S. officials have emphasized that the European Union, due to the sanctions it has imposed on Russia over the past three years, will eventually play a role in negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine. Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, during the last leg of his trip to the Middle East, after visiting Israel and participating in a meeting with senior Russian officials in Riyadh, stated upon arriving in Abu Dhabi for talks with UAE leaders that U.S. sanctions against Moscow will remain in place for now. Rubio, after negotiating with Russia, stated that all parties must compromise to end the war in Ukraine. On Tuesday night, he had a phone conversation with the foreign ministers of Britain, Germany, France, and Italy, as well as with the EU's foreign policy chief, informing them about the Riyadh negotiations. Simultaneously, the Kremlin spokesperson stated on Wednesday that preparations for a meeting between the Russian and U.S. presidents will require time, but it is likely they will meet before the end of February (before March 1). Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday in Moscow described the negotiations held in Riyadh as 'a very important step' towards an agreement to end the war. Donald Trump on Tuesday night in Florida suggested that he might meet with his Russian counterpart by the end of February. Trump, regarding Ukraine's criticism of not being included in the Riyadh negotiations, stated that Kyiv should have reached an agreement with Moscow three years ago to prevent a Russian attack, saying they had 'three years.' The U.S. President compared the devastation in parts of Ukrainian cities due to the ongoing war to the situation in Gaza and urged Ukraine to hold its postponed elections. Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday at a press conference in Kyiv stated that the actions taken by the U.S. are 'helping' Vladimir Putin, who is seeking to escape Russia's international isolation over the past three years. Zelensky returned to Kyiv after a meeting on Tuesday with the Turkish President in Ankara and following the postponement of his trip to Riyadh on Wednesday. He added that as the leader of Ukraine, he cannot 'sell' his country. This week in Munich, he also stated that he would not allow his name to be recorded in history as a 'traitor' who sold part of his country's territory. Zelensky also responded to Donald Trump's remarks made in Florida, where Trump claimed that Zelensky only has the support of four percent of the Ukrainian people, stating that the U.S. President is trapped in a 'bubble of Russian misinformation.' Zelensky expressed that he would be pleased if Trump's team received more 'facts' about Ukraine. The Ukrainian President's remarks came as retired General Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday. Kellogg, who went to Kyiv after a series of meetings with European leaders in Munich and Brussels, stated that the U.S. understands Ukraine's need for security guarantees. The Kyiv International Sociology Institute published a survey on Wednesday claiming that Zelensky is supported by 57 percent of the Ukrainian people.