President of the United States Donald Trump has approved sanctions against the Russian Federation, opting for a moderate level of severity among the options proposed by his administration. This is the first package of sanctions imposed since Trump’s inauguration in January. The official announcement of the new restrictions took place on October 22, when Trump also announced the cancellation of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, stating that such a meeting could occur later.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Chosen Sanction Option and Its Features
According to the American president, the decision regarding sanctions was made due to Russia’s insufficient interest in achieving peace in Ukraine. The new sanctions focus on Russian oil and gas giants “Rosneft” and “Lukoil,” as well as their subsidiaries. Trump rejected the most severe scenario, which would have included restrictions against the entire Russian industry and government leadership, and did not support the mildest option, which would not affect the energy sector.
Reasons for a Tougher U.S. Stance
As reported by the media, including The Wall Street Journal and CNN, the U.S. president made the decision on sanctions quite quickly and unexpectedly for his entourage. The reason was his reaction to the fact that after a recent phone call with Putin, the Russian leader did not change his policy regarding Ukraine and continued military actions. Administration members note that these actions caused dissatisfaction for Trump, although he did not directly comment on the attacks carried out by Russia. According to CNN, Trump stated that his “instinct” told him it was time to impose sanctions. He added that although the conversation with Putin was constructive, like previous contacts, it did not yield real results.
“I’m glad he thinks so. We’ll see what happens in six months.”
This is how Trump commented on Putin’s statement, who called the sanctions an unfriendly act, but assured that they would not have a significant impact on the Russian economy. Trump had previously expressed hope that the restrictions “would not last long,” hinting at the possibility of their cancellation if a peace agreement is reached between the parties.