Donald Trump. Photo: Getty Images
Options for US energy sanctions against Russia have been “on standby” for a long time – from strong to weak packages – and US President Donald Trump has this week opted for the middle one.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Unnamed officials told WSJ that the three options had been developed months ago in case Trump decided to take tougher action against Russia.
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The strongest package included broad economic measures and direct sanctions against the Russian leadership, the middle one targeted energy resources, and the softest involved more limited steps. Trump ultimately chose the middle option, which included sanctions against Rosneft, Lukoil and their subsidiaries.
One official said that on Wednesday 22 October, Trump met with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and instructed him to prepare sanctions on Russian oil. He then asked for feedback from top advisers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth agreed with his decision.
Sources said Trump’s patience had run out over the Kremlin leader’s failure to show willingness for peace talks, while images of destruction in Ukraine from Russian attacks kept emerging.
Although Trump had not commented on them publicly, administration officials said the images irritated him. His frustration reportedly grew after he managed to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas, while Putin continued to hold to his maximalist demands.
Trump later said publicly that he “felt the time had come” for sanctions because his talks with Putin “lead nowhere”.
Trump’s administration believes the imposed sanctions could significantly affect Russia’s finances, already strained by economic problems and heavily reliant on energy exports. Following the announcement, Indian refineries reportedly began reviewing their suppliers, and some Chinese companies temporarily paused Russian oil purchases.
There have been no indications yet from Trump on whether he is considering additional sanctions if this move fails to bring Russia to the negotiating table.
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