German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron called for secondary sanctions aimed at undermining Russia’s war machine, increasing pressure on Moscow as U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace efforts sputter.

To hamper Moscow’s abilities to raise money from oil sales, Europe’s two biggest economies will push for measures targeting "companies from third countries that support Russia’s war,” according to a joint statement on Friday after a meeting of German and French cabinet members.

"We will continue to exert pressure for additional sanctions to be imposed by ourselves — and we are prepared to do so — but also by the U.S., to force Russia to return to the negotiating table,” Macron said alongside Merz at a news conference at Fort du Cap Brun near the Mediterranean port city of Toulon.

The initiative to widen sanctions comes as European leaders lose patience with the U.S. president’s reluctance to openly confront Russian President Vladimir Putin over his war in Ukraine. For Ukraine’s allies, the hope is that the move could prod Trump to follow through on threats to widen sanctions against the Kremlin.

Macron and Merz plan to speak with Trump over the weekend, but likely in separate calls.

Trump’s latest two-week deadline is close to expiring with little clear progress made toward a peace deal. Instead, the Kremlin this week unleashed one of the heaviest drone and missile assaults of the year, hitting apartment buildings and killing at least four children.

While Europe wants to apply pressure on the Russian leader, it needs U.S. support, especially on implementing sanctions, to ensure that Putin takes steps toward ending the war, according to a European official close to the situation, who asked not to be identified because talks are private.

A White House official pointed to recent comments by Trump saying that he will decide in the coming weeks what to do, including whether to impose major sanctions or tariffs, or potentially walk away. Trump has warned the consequences could result in an economic war that would be bad for Russia, but that he still wants to avoid that, the official said Friday.

France and Germany agreed to step up cooperation within the European Union and with Group of Seven partners to "further extend and develop effective and robust sanctions,” the countries said in the statement, adding that the goal is to "exert maximum pressure on Russia.”

"In America, right now they’re discussing further tariffs,” Merz said. "I would welcome it very much if the American government could make a decision on enforcing those on other nations whose purchases of oil and gas finance a large part of Russia’s war economy.”

The EU has started discussing secondary sanctions aimed at Russia’s energy sector. The measures are aimed at preventing third countries from helping the Kremlin circumvent the bloc’s existing penalties. Other steps on Russia’s oil and gas and financial sectors are also planned.

"We are working on the next package, there are several options on the table,” Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, told reporters in Copenhagen as defense ministers gathered for an informal meeting. "Of course, what will hurt them the most is any sanctions on energy and secondary sanctions.”

The EU adopted a so-called anti-circumvention tool in 2023, which it hasn’t yet used. This instrument prohibits the export, supply or transfer of certain goods to third countries that are considered to aid sanctions circumvention.

The EU has historically been averse to imposing secondary sanctions, particularly given recent criticism from the Trump administration about the policy. But as the EU prepares the new package of sanctions against Russia — which should be ready in a matter of weeks — it appears to have arrived at the limits of what it can do with sanctions targeting Russia directly.

Merz has been outspoken about the lack of progress in brokering a peace deal. On Thursday, the German leader said he no longer expects a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to take place, as Trump previously touted.

During the intergovernmental meeting, France and Germany also agreed on the need to provide Ukraine with "credible security guarantees” that would include the country being allowed to maintain a military "without any limitations” to help deter Russia.

The EU is contributing to Ukraine’s war effort with a military training mission, a civilian mission and the support to the defense industry of Ukraine.

After discussing with the ministers, Kallas said there was broad support to broaden the mandate of EU training missions after a ceasefire, so that the training could take place inside the country and not just outside — as has been the case so far. Along with support for the country’s defense industry, this would be a contribution to security guarantees, she said.

Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv on Friday that he and European leaders will "connect” next week with Trump to discuss security guarantees. The call will take place during one of the meetings the Ukrainian president is going to have with European leaders as he seeks to win legally binding commitments from allies as part of peace talks.

On broader security issues, France and Germany promised to cooperate more closely in the defense sector and to standardize military equipment. The two countries will start discussions about including France’s nuclear weapons in Europe’s overall security architecture.

Still, the two leaders postponed a final decision on the troubled FCAS fighter-jet project until the end of the year.