On November 16, US President Donald Trump announced that Republican lawmakers are pushing for tough legislation to impose strong sanctions on any country that continues to maintain economic relations with Russia. “As you know, I initiated this. Any country that trades with Russia will be subject to very severe penalties. Even Iran will probably be on that list,” President Trump emphasized, showing that Washington wants to expand the global economic “encirclement” around Moscow.
President Trump, who has repeatedly called himself a “global peacemaker,” has acknowledged that ending the more than three-year war between Russia and Ukraine will be more difficult than he thought. White House sources say he is increasingly frustrated with Russia’s refusal to make any significant concessions in negotiations, increasing pressure on Washington to take more drastic measures.
On October 22, for the first time in the second term, the US under the Trump administration imposed a large package of sanctions related to the war in Ukraine, directly targeting two leading Russian oil corporations, Lukoil and Rosneft, and 34 subsidiaries. This is a move that directly impacts the "lifeblood" of Russia's oil revenue, which is the mainstay of the country's economy.
Ukrainian officials and Kiev's close allies welcomed the decision, calling it a turning point in Washington's stance toward Russia. In contrast, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev condemned it, accusing the US of "going completely down the path of war with Russia."
“This is a very important move because it is the first time the Trump administration has applied sanctions directly targeting oil revenues, an area where Russia is particularly vulnerable,” said Michael Carpenter, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
