Putting the Onus on Europe: Trump’s New Sanctions Policy

President Donald Trump has fundamentally shifted U.S. sanctions policy, putting the onus for any future action against Russia squarely on Europe. His new position is that America will only escalate its economic measures after its NATO allies have demonstrated their own maximum commitment.
This shift was announced in a weekend Truth Social post, where the President stated that “major Sanctions on Russia” are contingent on a complete oil embargo by “all NATO Nations.” This makes European unity and action the trigger for American policy, a reversal of the traditional U.S.-led approach.
By making European action a prerequisite, Trump is forcing the continent to confront its own internal divisions and its continued energy dependency on Moscow. He is essentially telling allies that they cannot expect American leadership on sanctions while some of them are still major customers of the target nation.
This “Europe first” approach to sanctions also extends to his proposal on China tariffs, which he suggests NATO should impose “as a group.” In every aspect of his new plan, the responsibility for the next move lies not in Washington, but in the capitals of its European partners.