Trump Administration Drafts New Sanctions Targeting Core Sectors of Russia’s Economy
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing a new round of sanctions aimed at critical sectors of Russia’s economy.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Reuters.
According to U.S. officials cited by Reuters, the measures would expand restrictions beyond Russia’s oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, already sanctioned earlier this week, to include the banking sector and infrastructure supporting oil exports.
Officials also said Washington has expressed support for the European Union’s initiative to use frozen Russian assets to purchase U.S. weapons for Ukraine.
Preliminary discussions have reportedly begun within the administration on whether similar steps could be taken with Russian assets held in the United States.
“We’d like our European allies to make the next big Russia move, which could be additional sanctions or tariffs,” one U.S. official told Reuters.
Sources familiar with internal White House deliberations say Trump intends to pause for several weeks to assess Moscow’s reaction to the sanctions already imposed on Rosneft and Lukoil, which froze their U.S. assets and barred any American firms from doing business with them.
Some Chinese state-owned oil companies have reportedly suspended seaborne purchases of Russian crude in response to the new restrictions – an early sign that Washington’s measures are beginning to reshape global energy trade.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have presented Washington with their own list of proposed sanctions, including a sweeping measure to disconnect all Russian banks from the U.S. dollar system. It remains unclear how seriously the Trump administration is considering these requests.
On Capitol Hill, several senators are reviving efforts to pass a long-stalled bipartisan sanctions bill targeting Moscow. Sources close to the administration told Reuters that Trump is inclined to support the legislation, though formal backing is unlikely before the end of the month.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said the decision to expand sanctions stemmed from Russia’s “continued lack of genuine interest in peace” and emphasized that the administration remains committed to maintaining pressure until Moscow changes course.
As The Gaze reported earlier, the U.S. has imposed a new round of major sanctions targeting Russia’s energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil, in response to Moscow’s continued reluctance to engage seriously in peace efforts to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.