Nick Beake
Europe Correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Further EU sanctions on Russia are due to be formally announced on Monday, the third anniversary of the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

As well as targeting Russian aluminium and dozens of vessels suspected of illegally transporting oil, this latest round of EU sanctions disconnects more Russian banks from the global Swift payment system and bans additional Russian media outlets from broadcasting in Europe.

The impact will be diminished, of course, if the US lifts some of its own sanctions on Moscow, something the EU fears may be more likely following the US-Russia bilateral meeting.

Europe’s exclusion from that top table has prompted France’s President Macron to try forge a united continental response.

Today, he hosted another meeting of leaders – mainly online – following Monday’s summit at the Elysee Palace.

This afternoon’s discussions included Sweden, Finland & the EU’s three Baltic countries, all of whom border Russia.

For the past three years Europe has boasted, repeatedly, it will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

But in the past 24 hours, so far only one European leader – the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson – appears to have openly challenged Trump’s false claim that it was Ukraine that started the conflict.