The EU will prepare a "Plan B" in case Trump withdraws from Ukraine negotiations.

The European Union is preparing a "Plan B" aimed at maintaining economic sanctions against Russia in the event that US President Donald Trump's administration decides to withdraw from the negotiating process and seek rapprochement with Moscow, European Union diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas told the Financial Times.

"The question is whether the Americans themselves will want to leave. We see signs that they are considering the possibility of withdrawing from [the peace settlement in] Ukraine and not trying to reach a deal with Russia because it is too difficult," Kallas said.

Amid Trump's proposals to restore economic ties with Russia as part of a peace settlement in the European Union, fears are growing that some EU countries will demand the lifting of European sanctions against Moscow, the FT writes: officials fear the possible consequences if US companies are allowed to cooperate with Russia while European businesses remain prohibited from doing so.

Kallas stated that the EU would be able to override Hungary's potential veto if it blocks the extension of restrictive measures against Russia in July, but emphasized that the priority is for all member states to agree on sanctions. "There is a plan B, but we must work on a plan A; otherwise, if you focus on a plan B, that's when you'll need it," Kallas said. She added that Brussels is negotiating with Washington and other international partners about maintaining the restrictions.

Politico reported that at least six EU member states, including the Czech Republic and Belgium, support moving the implementation of restrictions to national legislation, hoping that this could ultimately "undermine Budapest's ability" to block the extension of sanctions. According to the FT, Brussels was also considering using a 1944 decree by the Belgian king to preserve €190 billion in frozen Russian assets held in the Euroclear depository.

Back in mid-April, the US warned that it could withdraw from the peace process if it didn't see progress in the coming days. The White House stated that Trump was disappointed in both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and called for a meeting at the negotiating table . The Republican himself said he had set a deadline for a peace agreement, without specifying a specific timeframe. In Europe and Ukraine, there's speculation that Trump is ready to use the limited progress in the negotiations as a "pretext" to declare "his job is done" as early as this week, the 100th day since his return to the White House, the FT reported.

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