Donald Trump has enforced restrictions on the two biggest Russian oil companies following the conclusion that the Russian leader was not being truthful and direct in negotiations over Ukraine, the US treasury chief stated.
The sanctions targeting Rosneft and Lukoil followed just one day after a scheduled meeting between Trump and Putin in the Hungarian capital got postponed, with Washington expressing its disappointment at the absence of advances in peace talks with Moscow.
“Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, the Treasury Department is imposing sanctions on the two biggest Russian oil companies that finance Russia’s military operations,” the US treasury secretary, the Secretary, announced this week.
He cautioned that the Treasury Department was ready “to implement additional measures should it be needed” to back the President’s initiatives to end the war.
Speaking to Fox Business prior to the formal statement, Bessent remarked the move was “among the biggest restrictions that we have done on Russia”.
The President had delayed new sanctions for months, saying he aimed to convince the Russian President to reach a peace agreement despite growing frustration with him. But the president’s patience apparently ran out in the six days since he spoke to the Russian leader by telephone last Thursday.
The European Union also announced new sanctions on Russia on Wednesday. These involve a ban on importing liquefied natural gas from Russia by 2027, the sanctioning of petroleum vessels used by Moscow and travel curbs on Russian diplomats.
