Trump didn't like the EU before. Now, Russia might be pushing them closer

Relations betwixt the U.S. and European Union person been thorny this twelvemonth with differences implicit however to enactment Ukraine, commercialized tensions and tariffs, dominating a tense play of diplomacy betwixt the powerfulness blocs.

But, successful a somewhat ironic twist of the ongoing Ukraine war, a shared consciousness of vexation and suspicion of Russia's refusal to travel to the negotiating array has brought the U.S. and EU person together.

A agreed beforehand was seen this week, with Washington and Brussels announcing complimentary packages of sanctions targeting Russia's lipid and state industry.

The U.S.and EU are connected the aforesaid leafage erstwhile it comes to pressuring Russia to bring an extremity to the warfare successful Ukraine, Andrew Puzder, the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, told CNBC Thursday.

"President Trump has been adamant that helium wants to spot this warfare extremity ... But erstwhile you spot the negotiations aren't going the mode you privation them to go, you request to ramp up the pressure," Puzder told CNBC's Silvia Amaro successful Brussels.

He noted that the U.S. and EU's astir simultaneous sanctions packages are "an denotation that we request to measurement it up. We're consenting to measurement it up, and hopefully Vladimir Putin volition get the connection and recognize that the warfare needs to travel to an end. He doesn't look to person gotten that connection yet, but hopefully this volition bring it home," helium said.

U.S.-EU relations had mostly improved successful caller months successful a fig of geopolitical and economical areas, Puzder said, noting, "we whitethorn not ever hold but I deliberation their motives are ever bully and I deliberation they conscionable look astatine things a small otherwise than we do," helium said.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Treasury announced caller sanctions connected Russia's largest lipid producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, portion the EU connected Thursday adopted its 19th bundle of measures against Moscow, banning Russian liquefied earthy state imports and targeting its concern manufacture and subject concern complex.

Washington's latest actions were cheered by Ukraine and the EU pursuing concerns past week that U.S. President Donald Trump could broadside with Russia erstwhile it came to a solution to the war, aft helium appeared to parrot the Kremlin's presumption that Ukraine should cede occupied territory to Russia arsenic portion of a bid deal.

Trump appeared to reverse that stance connected Wednesday, however, when helium said helium had recovered that talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin "don't spell anywhere," and that he'd decided to cancel a acme with Putin that was meant to instrumentality spot successful Hungary successful the adjacent fewer weeks.

Needless to say, the sanctions, Trump's disapproval of Putin and the cancelation of in-person talks, elicited a stony soundlessness from Moscow connected Thursday.

Puzder said that during his clip successful the ambassadorial post, helium had noticed the EU and U.S. go much aligned connected a fig of different matters, including China and connected immigration.

"I deliberation connected those issues we're moving person unneurotic and I deliberation the commercialized statement was immense for some [sides]," helium said, praising European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for negotiating a woody that helium said "was amended than immoderate different state [Trump's] negotiated with."

U.S.-EU relations took a dive erstwhile Trump returned to bureau astatine the commencement of the twelvemonth with the U.S. person taking contiguous purpose astatine the bloc, accusing it of unfair commercialized practices connected the grounds that it has tally a persistent commercialized surplus erstwhile it comes to the speech of goods.

In January, Trump told the World Economic Forum successful Davos that, "from the standpoint of America, the EU treats america very, precise unfairly, precise badly."

He has repeated that presumption and position astatine assorted times this twelvemonth and portion the EU has denied the accusations, U.S.-EU commercialized data does shows it has enjoyed a commercialized surplus (at slightest erstwhile it comes to goods) with the U.S. for years.

European Council figures for 2024, for example, amusement full commercialized betwixt the EU and U.S. amounted to 1.68 trillion euros ($1.97 trillion) but portion the EU ran a commercialized surplus successful goods, it recorded a shortage successful services with the U.S. When some goods and services were taken into account, the bloc had a surplus of astir 50 cardinal euros past year.

That information informed Trump's determination to impose, initially, a 30% tariff connected EU goods imports entering the States, overmuch to the bloc's dismay. He past lowered the tariff to 15% arsenic portion of the model of a commercialized statement reached successful July, which was higher than the 10% levy the EU was hoping for.

The EU besides agreed to acquisition $750 cardinal worthy of U.S. vigor and put an further $600 cardinal worthy of investments into the U.S.

Ambassador Puzder said commercialized relations were going to amended arsenic the commercialized woody was enactment into practice.

"As we crook that model into a finalized agreement, I deliberation it'll beryllium to large payment of some countries and proceed this large transatlantic narration that we person had for 250 years."