New sanctions against Russia: USA and EU increase pressure on Moscow!

New sanctions against Russia: USA and EU increase pressure on Moscow!

The US government under President Donald Trump is preparing a new package of sanctions against Russia. This comprehensive package of measures is intended to particularly affect key sectors of the Russian economy if Vladimir Putin continues the war against Ukraine. How 112.ua reported, new sanctions were imposed against Russia last week, which are considered the first measures since the beginning of Trump's second term in office.

A central component of this new strategy is increased cooperation with European partners. The US has urged these countries to use Russian assets to procure American weapons for Ukraine. The White House is also pursuing the option of using Russian assets in the USA to strengthen Ukrainian defenses in order to maintain military pressure on Moscow.

EU sanctions are getting tougher

In parallel to the US measures, the EU has decided on a 19th sanctions package against Russia. This includes a decisive restriction on energy imports, including an import ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), which will come into force sooner than initially planned. A complete import ban will apply from 2027, a year earlier than originally planned. In 2024, Russian gas imports from the 27 EU states amounted to about 19 percent, which makes the shortened deadline of great relevance, as Tagesschau.de highlights.

The new sanctions package also provides for a variety of other measures, including restrictions on the financial sector and trade restrictions on companies from countries such as China and India that do business with Russia. In addition, action is being taken against the use of cryptocurrencies that could be used to circumvent sanctions.

Criticism and support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has described the new sanctions as decisive and is calling for further measures against Russia. Despite this support, there are also concerns within the EU about the release of frozen Russian assets, particularly the Russian Central Bank's €140 billion. Belgium has expressed concerns and called for all EU members to share the risks involved.

The new US sanctions are specifically aimed at the Russian oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft. From now on, US companies and foreign banks will not be allowed to do business with these companies and their assets in the US will be frozen, which is expected to put significant pressure on the Russian economy. According to information from Süddeutsche.de 117 more ships have already been added to the sanctions list, bringing the total number to 558 ships.

Russia has rejected US sanctions as counterproductive to peace efforts. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasizes that Russia's goals in Ukraine remain unchanged. It remains uncertain what further developments in the conflict and the international response to it will look like as the pressure on Moscow continues.