Europe has 11 ways to choke Russia’s war. It doesn’t need Trump’s permission for any of them

On October 9, President Donald Trump agreed to reinstate Russian diesel shipments to global markets, prompting the U.S. Treasury to suspend sanctions on that trade until 2027. Three days prior, Russian strikes had claimed over 80 Ukrainian civilian lives. In response, Europe enacted its most extensive sanctions package to date on October 12, targeting nearly 1,600 entities primarily in Russia's military and electronics sectors.

Ukraine's sanctions envoy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, emphasized the focus on missile programs and associated electronic components. The package largely reflects Ukrainian proposals, adopted swiftly by Brussels. However, Europe is presently contingent on Washington's decisions regarding the Graham Act and potential actions against Hungary and Slovakia, as well as the G7's stance on tanker services. Europe should independently address these issues rather than relying on external decisions.