BRUSSELS / ISTANBUL

The EU will make its own decisions on security and sanctions on Russia rather than following the US' lead, said a top official of the bloc on Tuesday before a meeting of EU member state finance ministers in Brussels.

Valdis Dombrovskis, EU commissioner for economic affairs, stressed that the EU will continue sanctioning Russia and that work is underway on new measures.

Explaining that they will discuss the economic effects of the Russia-Ukraine War at the meeting, Dombrovskis said the EU should increase its defense spending and capabilities and continue to support Ukraine.

“We are currently working on ways to provide more flexibility for defense spending under the EU's financial rules and options for providing additional funding for defense at the EU level,” he said.

Stating that the EU should take its policy in areas such as security and sanctions into its own hands in the era of US President Donald Trump, Dombrovskis said: “Work is underway to prepare the 16th sanctions package against Russia.”

Trump is seen as being broadly more pro-Russia than Joe Biden, the previous US president.

The remarks by the commissioner came after the beginning of the first talks between the US and Russia in years.

In the talks, issues of the war in Ukraine were discussed between the two countries.