The Telegraph: It Was Putin's Most Expensive Call Yet

• 23.10.2025, 17:30

One conversation led to grandiose sanctions against Russia.

The phone conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his American counterpart Marco Rubio was perhaps the most expensive in history. US President Donald Trump has made a sharp turn in policy - for the first time imposing direct sanctions against Russia, writes The Telegraph (translated by Charter97.org).

Previously, Trump avoided new restrictions, while Britain and the EU regularly tightened pressure on the Kremlin. Now the US has struck a blow against key sources of Russian revenue - Rosneft and Lukoil, which provide about half of Russia's oil exports.

Oil remains the main source of funding for the war: according to the IEA, Moscow exported 5.1 million barrels per day in September, generating about $13.4 billion in revenue. However, US sanctions threaten to seriously reduce these revenues.

The main question is the reaction of India and China, which buy up to 75% of Russian oil. Formally, the restrictions affect only American companies, but the threat of secondary sanctions may force foreign traders and banks to abandon deals with Russia.

India has already announced its intention to reduce purchases, while China is likely to continue buying oil, but at an even lower price - the discount on Russian Urals already exceeds $13 per barrel.

So far, Trump has refrained from tough secondary measures and supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles, but his move was a serious blow to Putin's economy.

For the Kremlin, this is a diplomatic defeat: instead of the expected meeting with Trump in Budapest, there are new sanctions and mounting pressure. However, analysts do not rule out that Putin will try to make contact again, hoping for another U-turn by the American leader.