Trump thus responded to a question about the Russian leader's claims that the sanctions against oil giants announced on Wednesday will not significantly affect the Russian economy.
— I'm glad he thinks so. That's good. I'll let you know in six months, okay? We'll see. We'll see how it goes – Trump cut off, talking to journalists during a meeting about the fight against drug cartels.
Earlier, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt also assessed that the effects of sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil would be painful.
— This morning I saw reports from China that they are limiting their purchases of oil from Russia. We know that India did the same at the president's request. The president also pressured European countries, our allies, to also stop purchasing Russian oil. So we are facing full pressure and we expect that these sanctions will harm Russia she said.
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What did Donald Trump say about Putin's reactions to sanctions?
What are the effects of sanctions on Russian oil companies?
Which countries limit purchases of Russian oil?
What does Putin think about American sanctions?
The US imposes sanctions on Russia. China and India restrict imports
Although the question asked of Trump suggested that Putin had completely downplayed the importance of the sanctions against the two largest oil companies, in fact the Russian leader admitted that they were “serious” for Russia and that “some losses can be expected.” However, he added that they would not significantly impact the country's economic well-being.
Putin also considered the restrictions an unfriendly gesture and “an attempt to put pressure on Russia.”
“No self-respecting nation ever does anything under pressure,” he added. He also stated that the Trump administration's move will translate into higher fuel prices at American stations.
As Reuters reported on Thursday, citing its sources, in response to the sanctions, a number of state-owned companies in China – including PetroChina, Sinopec, CNOOC and Zhenhua Oil – stopped purchasing Russian crude oil “at least in the short term” for fear of sanctions.
This move coincided with the announcements of refineries in India, which is the world's largest recipient of Russian oil transported from the sea. They also intend to sharply limit imports from Russiato comply with American restrictions.
