The European Commission president said Friday that Russia had failed to respect the energy ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump, calling for more pressure on Moscow.
“Of course, we supported President Trump’s energy ceasefire, but we’ve seen that Russia did not respect it, not a single minute. Instead, Russia escalated, and therefore we have to increase the pressure on Russia,” Ursula von der Leyen told reporters ahead of day two of an EU summit in Brussels.
On Sunday, Trump said that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate ceasefire on attacks targeting each other’s energy infrastructure.
Von der Leyen said the EU is working on its 22nd sanctions package against Russia, stressing that the bloc will “not lift any sanctions unless Moscow ended the war.”
Von der Leyen also said EU leaders would discuss Ukraine’s winter preparedness, as well as the country’s financial, budgetary, and military needs for 2026 and 2027.
European Council President Antonio Costa, meanwhile, reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to Ukraine, saying the bloc’s support remains “as strong as ever.”
“This is no time to withdraw the support to Ukraine. This is no time to relieve Russia’s sanctions. Now it’s time to increase our support, to increase our pressure,” Costa said.”This is essential to bring Russia to accept a real ceasefire, to bring Russia to the table of negotiations, and to stop this war,” he added.
