US ready for new Russia sanctions - Reuters reveals obstacle
Photo: Donald Trump, President of the United States (Getty Images)
The Trump administration has prepared additional sanctions against Russia in case Vladimir Putin continues to delay ending the war in Ukraine. However, Washington is waiting for Europe to take the first step, according to Reuters.
According to a US official and another source, some of the additional sanctions prepared by the United States target Russia’s banking sector and the infrastructure used to supply oil to the market.
Last week, Ukrainian officials approached Washington with proposals for new sanctions. Among the specific ideas was cutting all Russian banks off from the dollar system and their American counterparts. However, it remains unclear how seriously the US is considering these requests.
Meanwhile, the US Senate is also taking action, some lawmakers have renewed efforts to bring back a stalled bipartisan sanctions bill.
A source familiar with internal White House discussions said Trump is ready to support the package, though approval this month is unlikely.
According to the title, Washington currently wants Europe to apply pressure on Russia. A senior US official said he would like European allies to take the next step, which would include new sanctions and tariffs.
A separate source with knowledge of internal administration dynamics said Trump was likely to hit pause for a few weeks and gauge Russia's reaction to Wednesday's sanctions announcement.
In addition, the US told European partners it supports the EU using frozen Russian assets to purchase American weapons for Ukraine.
Two other sources said Washington has also begun internal talks on using Russian assets held in the US to support Ukraine’s defense efforts.
Sanctions against Russia
Earlier, on the night of October 23, the United States imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, in an attempt to pressure Vladimir Putin into negotiations with Ukraine.
The US Treasury urged Russia to agree immediately to a ceasefire and clarified that the new restrictions apply not only to the two main companies but also to 36 of their subsidiaries.
Following the announcement, shares of Rosneft and Lukoil plummeted by several billion dollars.
The next day, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that the European Union had approved its 19th sanctions package targeting Russia’s "shadow fleet" and imports of liquefied natural gas.
