US Unveils Sweeping Sanctions on Russia’s Oil Sector as Ukraine Endures New Strikes; NATO’s Rutte Visits Washington
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced new, “massive sanctions” on Russia’s oil industry—targeting Rosneft, Lukoil, and subsidiaries—from Washington, saying the measures are designed to cut revenue to Moscow’s war effort and push Russian President Vladimir Putin toward negotiations; the Treasury Department moved under existing authorities to restrict financing and transactions tied to the firms and their networks.
“Hopefully he’ll become reasonable,” President Trump said of Putin shortly after the rollout. “And hopefully Zelenskyy will be reasonable, too. You know, it takes two to tango, as they say.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called the sanctions a response to Moscow’s refusal to end its “senseless war,” adding the United States stands ready to tighten measures further and urging partners to “join us in and adhere to these sanctions.”
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The announcement coincided with talks at the White House with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who said allied-procured US air defenses are helping blunt Russian attacks. “We need to make sure that the air defense systems are in place, and we need the US systems to do that, and the Europeans are paying for that,” Rutte said.
Within hours of the sanctions, Ukraine reported new barrages of drones and missiles that struck at least eight cities. Authorities said at least six people were killed, including a woman and her two daughters, near Kyiv. Officials reported at least 29 wounded. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said a kindergarten was hit while children were inside, killing one adult and injuring six.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the European Union, the United States, and the Group of Seven to tighten pressure “only through sanctions, long-range [missile] capabilities and coordinated diplomacy among all our partners.” Ukraine’s military claimed strikes on Russian industrial sites, including a chemical plant in Bryansk and an oil refinery in Dagestan, and said overnight drones were downed across several regions, including near St. Petersburg, as Russian airports briefly halted flights.
Looking ahead, the US president said Russia would be on the agenda in a possible meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week in South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. He argued the war could end if NATO states halted purchases of Russian oil and if China faced steep tariffs due to its imports of Russian crude, saying of Xi, “I think he could have a big influence on Putin.”
