The EU's plans to increase sanctions pressure on Russia are in jeopardy due to the US withdrawal from them and the lack of unity in Europe as a whole, writes "The Guardian".
According to the media, European officials fear that unity could be shaken by a possible easing of sanctions by the US, as well as by the pro-Russian sentiments of Hungary, which advocates for the rapid lifting of economic sanctions against Russia and does not support the EC plan, which envisages a ban on energy supplies from Russia.
According to the newspaper, some EU member states are ready to personally impose sanctions against Russia at the national level if the sanctions are lifted by the union, but most of them have no legal basis for this.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in favor of the adoption of the sanctions bill against Russia by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a source told New Lines magazine. “Notice how Rubio raises the issue of sanctions almost every day.
He is pushing for the rapid adoption of Graham's bill, which already has a veto-proof majority in the Senate. The adoption of this law will effectively put an end to any attempts to restart relations with Moscow,“ he said.
However, US President Donald Trump, the magazine notes, is against such a decision.
In early April, a group of 50 US senators from both parties introduced a bill for primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and its trading partners if Moscow rejects Washington's proposals to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
The document, presented by Graham and Richard Blumenthal, provides for import duties of up to 500% on goods from countries that buy Russian oil, gas and uranium.