'A Blow Under The Breath': US Oil Sanctions Drive Putin Into A Stalemate

• 23.10.2025, 9:25

Washington has sharply increased pressure on Moscow.

The Donald Trump administration has unexpectedly imposed sanctions on Russia's two largest energy companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, which experts call "engines pumping money through the Kremlin's military veins." This is a real "kick in the butt" for the Kremlin's war economy, writes Sky News.

The U.S. Treasury Department says the purpose of the measures is to "weaken the Kremlin's ability to generate revenue for its war machine." Washington notes that oil is the "bloodstream" of the Russian economy, and the new sanctions effectively "cut off that bloodstream."

Even in the United States, however, even the U.S. recognizes that such a move carries risks for the global market.

By clamping down on Russia's oil sector, the president is squeezing the world market's chest, the channel notes. Rising energy prices could also hurt the US itself.

Trump himself acknowledged the enormity of the move, but expressed hope that "the sanctions won't last long":

"These are massive sanctions, and I hope they don't last long," the president said.

Europe backed Washington

The European Union was quick to join the new restrictions, tightening controls on Russian oil imports and closing shipping loopholes. Brussels noted that "the Western alliance is standing united."

At the backdrop of the sanctions announcement, Trump held a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The US president emphasized that he canceled a planned summit with Vladimir Putin because he "did not want to waste his trip."

Rutte, who has publicly backed Trump, called him "the only one who can do it."

China and the New Diplomatic Party

Analysts are focusing on the role of China, which could use its influence with Moscow during upcoming trade talks between Trump and Si Jinping.

The channel writes:

"The US president's sanctions are more than just punishment, they are a strategic gamble aimed at cornering Putin, but the margin for error is very thin."

If oil prices spike or allied unity falters, the US president could come under pressure himself.