Edition No242 | 06-09-2025 - Europe gears up—again—for tougher sanctions on Russia but always seems to keep one foot on the brake at the same time as the accelerator. In Paris, the U.S. envoy, Witless Witkoff stormed in, then stormed out again, of a high stakes meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders. And in Washington, the Trump White House talks tough, yet holds back on hitting Putin directly — every single time – while scolding Europe about Russian oil that still seeps in through economic cracks. Let’s connect the dots, call out the pressures, and say the quiet part out loud: neither Europe, nor the U.S. have done anything that has real deterrence power. No wonder Putin is intent on continuing his war, with a sense of complete impunity. Europe’s Sanctions Jitters, Paris Drama, and the Fine Art of Trump ManagementFirst the good news: Europe does understand the threat. After a Paris summit of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing,” European Council President António Costa confirmed that a team is flying to Washington to co-write a joint Russia sanctions package—explicitly including secondary sanctions in the draft. His words in Uzhhorod were unambiguous: “We are working with the U.S. and other partners to intensify our pressure through additional sanctions, both direct and secondary sanctions.” (Kyiv Independent, Sept. 5, 2025) Ukrainska Pravda reported the same: Brussels has already begun work on the next package and is sending a team to coordinate it with U.S. counterparts. (Українська правда)----------SOURCES: https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-delegation-us-prepare-joint-sanctions-russia-ukraine-war/https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/09/5/7529510/https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-announces-upcoming-talks-with-trump-on-strengthening-sanctions-against-russia/https://kyivindependent.com/europe-sends-team-to-washington-to-work-on-russia-sanctions-eu-council-chief-says/https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/inflection-points/its-time-for-trump-to-put-maximum-pressure-on-putin/https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/01/why-does-trump-hold-back-on-punishing-russia-and-putin.htmlhttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-02/us-holds-back-china-trade-threats-as-it-weighs-russia-sanctionshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g7dze5n1vohttps://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/witkoff-walks-out-of-coalition-of-willing-1756986589.html----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------DESCRIPTION: Europe's Sanctions & America's Mixed Signals: The Real StoryIn this episode of Silicon Bites, we dissect the fraught geopolitical landscape between the US, Europe, and Russia. Explore how Europe prepares for tougher sanctions against Russia while simultaneously trying to avoid economic disruptions. Understand the discrepancy between the strong rhetoric from the Trump administration and its actual actions. Get insights into Paris meetings, American diplomatic stunts, and the rumored hidden agendas behind political maneuverings. Discover why Europe's cautious approach and Washington's indecisive stance might be giving Putin a strategic advantage in the ongoing war. Learn what actions are urgently needed to create a significant deterrent and pressure on Russia, and why Europe may need to take the lead without waiting for U.S. cooperation.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction and Channel Support00:28 Europe's Sanction Dilemma03:21 US and Europe's Mixed Signals04:55 Paris Drama and Diplomatic Tensions09:12 Washington's Paradox and Critique12:54 Europe's Strategy and Trump's Influence15:46 Conclusion and Future Steps----------