EU on edge: Will Trump reverse Biden’s sanctions on Russia and other key policies?

EU officials are closely examining hundreds of executive orders and sanctions imposed by US President Joe Biden amid growing concern that his successor, Donald Trump, may undo them, potentially disrupting foreign relations and trade.

Brussels is worried that Trump could reverse Biden's decisions simply because they were made under the previous administration, without fully considering the impact on European allies, Caliber.Az reports citing an article by the Financial Times.

In response, senior European Commission officials have launched a review of Biden's orders — ranging from sanctions on Russia to measures on trade and cybersecurity — to assess which reversals could have the most significant impact on the EU or undermine its own actions.

The urgency of this review, ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20, reflects the EU's growing unease about the potential actions of the president-elect when he returns to office, especially after threatening measures against US allies. In recent days, Trump suggested using military force or imposing tariffs on Denmark to compel the sale of Greenland and even proposed that Canada and the Panama Canal become part of the US.

The EU's primary concern is that Trump may choose to rescind Biden's sanctions on Russia, which were imposed in response to Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. European officials are hoping that Trump will maintain these sanctions as leverage in any future negotiations with Russia regarding a ceasefire.

A spokesperson for the Trump transition team emphasized that the president-elect has received a “resounding mandate” to implement the promises he made during his campaign, including disrupting the status quo in Washington.

Last summer, the European Commission set up a team of senior officials to assess the potential impacts of a second Trump presidency and develop strategies to address them. This effort has mainly focused on issues such as possible trade conflicts, reduced US support for Ukraine, and a potential shift in Washington’s commitment to European defence and security.

Executive orders, which are issued by sitting presidents, can be revoked at any time, and it is customary for a new president to review existing orders shortly after taking office. In 2017, Trump reversed several policies from his predecessor, Barack Obama, including rolling back the Cuba thaw and withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement. A year later, he also pulled the US out of the nuclear deal with Iran.

"The concern is that he will reverse policies just because they were implemented by Biden," one source said. "We need to understand how that could affect us."

By Tamilla Hasanova