U.S. on EU sanctions: We will continue to increase pressure on Russia

The United States has coordinated sanctions pressure on Russia with partners in the European Union, the G7 and other countries and intends to increase pressure on Putin and prosecute anyone who helps him.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said this at a briefing on Monday, December 18, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"We have coordinated with the EU on those sanctions, as we have with the EU on sanctions since the outset of this conflict," he said, commenting on the introduction by the European Union of the 12th package of restrictive measures against Russia.

Miller noted that the United States continues to work with the EU, the G7 and other partners around the world "to ensure that the sanctions we have imposed are tightened." Work is also ongoing to "hold accountable those who try to evade our sanctions and impose new sanctions if we do see the ones we have being eroded in any way," he said.

"And we'll continue to do that," Miller said.

On December 19, the European Union announced the adoption of the 12th package of economic and individual sanctions against Russia "to further weaken Russia's war machine." At the same time, the EU emphasized that the new package aims to deliver a further blow to Putin's ability to wage war by targeting high-value sectors of the Russian economy and making it more difficult to circumvent EU sanctions.