Tough sanctions are still in reserve: why Trump chose the middle option of economic pressure on Russia
фото: Reuters
US President Donald Trump has chosen a middle ground for sanctions against Russia, focusing on the energy sector rather than a complete blockade of the industry. The decision paves the way for further steps, including the transfer of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
This is reported by The Wall Street Journal .
The United States has developed three packages of anti-Russian sanctions: hard — targeting Russian industry and leadership; medium — targeting the energy sector; and soft — a limited set of sanctions.
According to the WSJ, Donald Trump has chosen a middle option. He is aimed at the Russian energy sector, in particular the companies Lukoil and Rosneft.
As one White House official said, this is a step to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to speed up negotiations.
“The new sanctions, aimed specifically at energy companies Lukoil and Rosneft, are another step… in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war,” the article says.
Analysts note that sanctions alone may not be enough, and the next step may be the transfer of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
According to Kurt Volker, Trump’s special representative for Ukraine during his first administration: “The question now is whether we are seeing a fundamental shift in Trump’s strategy or whether this is just a temporary measure.”
At the same time, sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil have the potential to significantly impact Russia’s economy, given the dependence of the country’s military budget on oil and gas revenues.
After the sanctions were announced, Indian oil companies reduced their purchases of oil from Russia, and Chinese state-owned oil companies suspended some purchases, indicating possible externalities of the chosen strategy.
As reported, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said that new United States sanctions will not affect the Russian economy in any way.
Subsequently, US President DonaldTrump sarcastically commented on the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding new American sanctions , which, according to the Russian leader, will allegedly not affect the Russian economy.
As a reminder, the Donald Trump administration has announced the first major package of financial restrictions aimed at the Russian economy . This move is part of Washington’s new strategy, the aim of which is to force the Kremlin to end its war against Ukraine.
Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , Twitter , Telegram , and Instagram.