Trump slaps Russia with tremendous sanctions to shut down war machine | World | News
President Donald Trump has heaped on Russia with major new sanctions, signaling growing frustration with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The move comes after a highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was cancelled; The White House lost patience with the Kremlin’s lack of commitment to peace.
According to The Telegraph, the comprehensive sanctions directly target two of Russia’s largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, and their subsidiaries.
The Trump administration has labeled these firms as major funders of the “Kremlin’s war machine” and has sought to cut off their access to American banks and financial institutions, effectively blocking their use of the US dollar.
Trump hopes sanctions are short-lived, calls on Russia and Ukraine to be ‘reasonable’
Despite the severity of the sanctions, Trump expressed his hope that the sanctions will not remain in effect for a long time, saying, “We hope that the war will be resolved.” The president called on both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to be “reasonable” in their efforts to end the conflict and emphasized the need for a peaceful solution.
Seven people, including two children, lost their lives in attacks carried out by Russia overnight
The sanctions follow a deadly overnight attack by Russian forces on Ukraine that claimed the lives of seven people, including two children. The tragic incident once again underscores the urgency of finding a peaceful solution to the ongoing war that has devastated the region and claimed countless lives.
Trump’s sanctions praised internationally as pressure on Putin increases
The international community welcomed Trump’s decision to impose sanctions on Russia, seeing it as a necessary step to increase pressure on Putin to end the war. Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze described the sanctions as “relatively large” and praised coordination with European allies, while the European Union also announced its own new sanctions banning imports of liquefied natural gas.
White House changes strategy as patience wears thin
The imposition of sanctions marks a significant shift in the White House’s approach to the conflict; because Trump had previously wavered between putting pressure on Moscow and taking a more conciliatory stance in the search for peace. However, the administration, which seemed to have no end to the conflicts, decided to take a tougher stance, with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stating, “Now is the time to stop the killings and make an immediate ceasefire.”
Trump still reluctant to provide long-range missiles to Ukraine
Despite his tough stance on sanctions, Trump is hesitant to provide Ukraine with the long-range Tomahawk missiles it has requested. Earlier this week, the president had indicated a willingness to send the missiles and invited Zelensky to the White House, but later reversed course, citing the complexity of the weapons and the risk of escalation.
President condemns ‘fake news’ report on long-range missile approval
In a related development, Trump took to social media Wednesday evening to denounce a Wall Street Journal report alleging that the United States had approved the use of long-range missiles against Russia. The president called the story “fake news” and asserted that the United States “had nothing to do with these missiles or what Ukraine did with them, regardless of where they came from.”
