Russian President Vladimir Putin criticizes the EU’s loss of sovereignty following the new US-EU trade agreement, highlighting threats to Europe’s political and economic independence amid rising global tensions.

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During a recent meeting on the island of Valaam with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin sharply criticized the European Union’s sovereignty, declaring that the bloc has “no sovereignty at all” following its controversial trade agreement with the United States.

This pact, finalized on July 27 between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and former US President Donald Trump, is seen by Putin and allied left-wing voices as a detrimental imposition that compromises the EU’s autonomy in favor of Washington’s strategic interests.

The unprecedented commitments within the agreement require the EU to purchase $750 billion in US energy and military equipment, while simultaneously investing $600 billion in the U.S. economy and opening European markets to tariff-free US trade.

Critics argue this cements a structural dependence on the United States, weakening Europe’s ability to assert independent economic and geopolitical policies. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the pact as an “economic leash” that tightens Washington’s grip on Brussels, undermining the bloc’s sovereignty and political agency in global affairs.

Putin warned that the erosion of political sovereignty will inevitably translate into economic weakness with “tremendous losses” for the EU. The imposition of a 15 percent tariff on major European exports,such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors,demonstrates the costs borne by the EU under this agreement.

The text reads: The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, stated that the European Union completely lacks sovereignty during a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, on the island of Valaam.

Despite an exemption for certain strategic products, uncertainty about future expansions of this list leaves European industries vulnerable. Observers aligned with anti-imperialist perspectives interpret this development as a clear example of US neocolonial economic pressure, exposing Europe to the risk of being a subordinate actor in a Washington-dominated framework.

These developments underscore the urgent need for a multipolar world order predicated on respect for national sovereignty and economic self-determination. Putin’s condemnation echoes demands central to many Global South movements pushing back against Western economic domination.

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