Well before the November 2024 election, Donald Trump made a promise end Russia's war in Ukraine “within 24 hours”. No concrete action has been taken on the matter since his return to the White House.
Trump has engaged extensively in the conflict, hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington three times, conducting hours of phone calls with the Russian leader and meeting with him in Alaska. But while the US president openly pressured Kiev, he repeatedly dodged it a tough stance towards Putin. He did not continue his predecessor's direct military aid to Ukraine or impose sanctions on Moscow, as Joe Biden did.
This was to change on Wednesday. “I just felt it was time. We've been waiting a long time.” — this is how the US president explained his decision to impose sanctions on Russia during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “Today is a big day. We're putting massive sanctions on big oil companies,” Trump said.
The meeting was preceded by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's announcement of a “significant increase in sanctions against Russia.” A little later, Bessent published a message titled “The US Treasury Department imposes sanctions on large Russian oil companies and demands that Moscow agree to an immediate ceasefire.” Sanctions are aimed against Russian state-owned companies Rosneft and Lukoil. They also apply to subsidiaries of both companies in Russia.
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Trump is losing patience
The statement stated that the sanctions are a consequence of “lack of serious Russian involvement in the peace process to end the war in Ukraine.” These measures have increased “pressure on the Russian energy sector and limit the Kremlin's ability to raise revenues for the war machine.” The US administration intends to continue working to end the war peacefully. However, a lasting peace “depends entirely on Russia's willingness to negotiate in good faith.”
Sanctions could hit seriously Putin's war chest. Oil exports account for approximately one third of the Russian budget. Sanctions are slow and often completely inadequately controlled. Moreover, Moscow has found countless ways and partners to circumvent them.
However, the decision to impose sanctions is a sign that Trump is losing patience. Another signal is that during his meeting with Mark Rutte, the US president demanded a ceasefire. After the Alaska summit, Trump abruptly withdrew this demand — under pressure from Putin.
Exchange of blows
Just last week, Trump changed his position again in favor of Putin. The day before the Ukrainian president's visit to the White House, Trump announced a meeting with Putin in Budapest. He talked to the Russian for two and a half hours and agreed to meet in Budapest “to see if we can end this 'inglorious' war.”
The next day, Zelensky not only did not receive the promised weapons at the White House. Trump also informed him that for the price of peace he would have to accept the loss of territories – even though a week earlier the US president had stated that Ukraine could regain all the territory occupied by Russia.
Earlier this week, the rollercoaster of emotions continued. This time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dealt Trump another blow. The Kremlin announced that Washington's demand that the parties to the conflict freeze hostilities on the current front lines is unacceptable.
Moscow's position remains “unchangeable.” “An immediate ceasefire in Ukraine would only mean one thing: most of the country would remain under Nazi rule,” Lavrov said.
Force Putin to negotiate
In Washington, people wondered how the US president would react to this insult. On Wednesday, Trump responded by announcing sanctions. Influential senator and trusted Trump adviser Lindsey Graham praised the decision. “I am very grateful that Finance Minister Bessent hit the Russian oil sector with new sanctions because Putin shows no signs of wanting to end the bloodshed in Ukraine” – he said.
Kiev agreed to Trump's proposal for an immediate ceasefire along the contact line. Russia, however, rejected this proposal and has since resumed mass attacks on Ukraine.
Whether the sanctions will be effective and lasting remains to be seen. Trump, as a “dealmaker”, can only use them as short-term pressure measureto persuade Putin to negotiate. — There have been too many twists and turns lately to believe in a turning point. It seems that US policy towards Russia is getting tougher in the short term, but there will soon be another turnaround – warns Ukraine expert from the Council on Foreign Relations, Paul Stares, in an interview with “Die Welt”.
Kiev's other allies are also taking a more decisive stance. Already a week ago, Great Britain imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil. On Thursday, the European Union intends to adopt a new sanctions package that will ban the import of liquefied natural gas. This decision was announced on Wednesday evening. The package aims to further cut off Moscow from energy revenues and force Putin to negotiate.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
