Washington: In a major move aimed at ending the nearly four-year-long war in Ukraine, the United States has imposed new sanctions on two of Russia’s largest oil companies. US officials have clarified that the sanctions are intended to pressure President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire.
President Donald Trump announced the sanctions at the Oval Office, alongside the NATO Secretary-General. The measures target the Russian energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil.
Calling it a “very big day,” President Trump stated, “This is an indication of what we are going to be doing in the future.”
He again blamed the previous administration for the conflict, saying, “The Russia-Ukraine war started in the Biden era, and I am trying to stop it.” Trump expressed hope that the sanctions would “force Putin to adopt a reasonable attitude.”
The US President also confirmed the cancellation of a meeting with his Russian counterpart, stating, “It didn’t feel appropriate to meet with Putin, so I canceled the meeting.”
Highlighting the human cost of the conflict, Trump noted that “thousands of deaths have occurred” and said, “I think the parties want peace now.” He added, “We also want this war to end,” and mentioned that he would speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding the situation.
During the press conference, President Trump once again referenced his administration’s global peacemaking efforts, claiming, “We stopped 7 wars, including in the Middle East and the India-Pakistan war.” He concluded by expressing hope that the Russia-Ukraine war would also end soon.
