Options for US and the EU to Counter Russian Aggression?

Economic and Military Options for the US and EU

The US and the EU are exploring ways to economically squeeze the Russian economy to bring Putin back to the negotiating table. In fact, the economic strategy to tighten the noose on the Russian Economy has already been initiated by President Trump after the failure of the Trump-Putin meeting.

For example, on the 7th of September, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. is prepared to increase pressure on Russia by working with European partners to impose sanctions and secondary tariffs on countries that keep buying Russian oil, with the goal of collapsing the Russian economy and forcing President Putin to negotiate. He defended the Trump administration’s tariff program — including recent 50% tariffs on India — and dismissed concerns that tariffs would trigger a U.S. recession. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supported the idea of tariffs on countries that continue trading with Russia.

Key points

• Bessent urged European partners to join the U.S. in sanctions and secondary tariffs to punish countries buying Russian oil and “collapse” Russia’s economy.
• The Trump administration recently imposed 50% tariffs on India for continued Russian oil purchases; Zelenskyy backed tariffs on such countries.
• Bessent defended tariffs as good for the U.S. economy, rejecting claims of an imminent jobs recession and pointing to recent stock- and bond-market performance.
• The administration is appealing a federal appeals-court ruling that limited presidential tariff authority and expects to win at the Supreme Court; it said it would refund tariff revenue if ordered.

Recently, the US has been negotiating with Turkey to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, thus the signing of a gas deal with the US. In addition, the EU is now considering to follow the US lead and go after Russian energy. In our view, the failed Trump-Putin talks will mean that both the US and EU will increase economic pressure on Russia mainly by reducing its ability to sell energy further.

Military Options: the US and EU Increasing Pressure on Russia

Direct military confrontation with a nuclear armed Russia is out of the question. However, both the US and EU have other options. Increasing military aid to Ukraine has already been implemented with the EU buying more US weapons to prove the front-line troops in Ukraine. A major change has been the US stance on providing Ukraine long-range weapons and intelligence to hit inside Russia.

The US is preparing to expand intelligence sharing with Ukraine to improve the effectiveness of long‑range drone and missile strikes against Russian energy and other targets — a significant escalation in Washington’s role in the war. President Trump has told agencies to prepare for such cooperation and is reportedly considering providing or enabling sales of long‑range systems like Tomahawk cruise missiles, though no final decision has been announced. The move would mark a sharp policy shift from prior US reluctance to assist strikes into Russia proper, while NATO partners (notably the UK) are already supporting deep strikes. Russian leaders dismiss the strategic impact and warn of escalation.

Key points

• US to increase intelligence support to help Ukraine map Russian air defenses and plan long‑range strike routes, boosting drone and missile strike effectiveness.
• Trump reportedly instructed agencies to prepare intelligence sharing; Tomahawk cruise missiles (range ~2,500 km) are under consideration but not approved publicly.
• The step would be a major shift from previous US restraint (Biden discouraged strikes on Russian soil) and could expand NATO‑supplied long‑range capabilities for Ukraine.
• Officials are divided on strategic impact; Russia calls such moves escalatory and says they won’t change battlefield outcomes.

The Tomahawk missles would be used to strike Russian energy infrastructure. At the moment, Ukraine has used drones to accomplish this. Thus the use of US missles would dramatically raise the stakes.

US and Ukrainian Drone Technology Partnership

The US and Ukraine are parterning to improve inexpensive drone technology and potentially increase output to counter Russia.

The U.S. and Ukraine are negotiating a landmark agreement for Washington to access Ukraine’s battle-tested, mass-production drone technology in exchange for royalties, compensation and likely arms sales. Talks involve Pentagon and State Department officials and Ukrainian deputies; a finalized deal could be worth billions and take months. The arrangement would let U.S. forces adopt low-cost, combat-proven UAVs while helping Kyiv obtain high-end American weapons. Challenges include Chinese components in Ukrainian drones and security of supply chains. European partners and private investors are already partnering with Ukrainian drone firms.

Key points

• Purpose: U.S.-Ukraine talks aim to transfer Ukraine’s inexpensive, battle-proven drone tech to the U.S. (via licensing, subsidiaries, or purchases) in return for payment/royalties and strengthened security ties.
• Strategic context: Kyiv seeks high-end U.S. weapons (Patriot, HIMARS, ATACMS, fighters); the deal is politically salient amid closer ties under the Trump administration.
• Industrial impact: Ukraine has ~300 drone firms, mass-production expertise (produced ~2 million drones), and innovations in FPV attack, marine drones and AI — attractive to U.S. and European defense industries and investors.
• Risks & constraints: Many Ukrainian drones use Chinese parts, raising supply-chain and security concerns; negotiations, approvals and technology safeguards will take time.