European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham in Berlin on Monday to discuss imposing stricter sanctions on Russia.
The European Commission disclosed that von der Leyen and Graham discussed coordination between the EU and the US regarding sanctions against Russia.
Senator Graham advocates for extremely tough "secondary" sanctions, including a 500% tariff on countries importing Russian oil and raw materials.
The EU is preparing an 18th package of sanctions targeting Russia’s energy revenues, its financial sector, and proposing a reduction of the price cap on Russian oil exports, according to the Commission’s statement.
"These measures, combined with those of the United States, would greatly enhance the collective impact of our sanctions," von der Leyen stated.
The G7 nations have set a maximum price of $60 per barrel for Russian oil to curtail Moscow’s revenue from crude oil exports. However, this price aligns with the current international market rate, prompting Western leaders to seek further reductions.
Senator Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who also supports these sanctions, were received in Paris on Saturday by French ministers Jean-Noël Barrot and Eric Lombard.
Monday’s schedule includes discussions between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that if these new negotiations fail, following an initial session in May, the US and the EU should implement "new strong sanctions."
