THE transatlantic rift over Ukraine widened today as EU diplomats announced further sanctions against Russia will come into force next week.

The 16th package of measures including travel bans, asset freezes and trade restrictions will come into force on February 24, the third anniversary of the Russian invasion.

The move signals that the EU remains hostile to US President Donald Trump’s bid to normalise relations with Russia, which has included suggestions it be brought back into the G7 group of big capitalist economies, from which (then the G8) it was expelled in 2014 when it responded to the Maidan coup in Ukraine by annexing Crimea.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also hit back at Mr Trump today, accusing him of living in a Russian “disinformation space” even as US envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kiev.

Mr Kellogg repeated his president’s demand that Ukraine hold elections, which have been postponed indefinitely due to the Russian invasion. “Most democratic nations have elections in their time of war,” he said.

Mr Trump raised the question of fresh elections on Tuesday, when challenged over his refusal to have Ukrainian representatives at talks on ending the war with Russia, in remarks suggesting the Ukrainian government didn’t represent Ukrainians anyway. It is understood Russia pressed for Ukrainian elections at its talks with the US in Saudi Arabia.

Mr Trump’s remarks at his Mar-a-Lago palace also angered Ukraine and its European allies by suggesting it bore responsibility for starting the war. Ukraine “should never have started” the conflict and “could have made a deal” earlier if it wanted a seat at the table, he said.

And yesterday he responded angrily to Mr Zelensky’s criticism, calling the Ukrainian leader a “dictator” who “better move fast or he won’t have a country left.” 

Mr Kellogg struck a more mollifying tone, saying he understood Ukraine’s need for security guarantees following a peace deal and adding: “It’s very clear to us the importance of the sovereignty of this nation and the independence of this nation as well … Part of my mission is to sit and listen.”

He did not address how Ukrainian sovereignty or independence would be served by the leaked treaty proposed by Washington, which would require Ukraine to hand over half of all revenues from mineral and fossil fuel extraction, and give the US first refusal on all export agreements.