EU And U.S. Impose New Sanctions On Russia To Pressure Putin Over Ukraine War

The European Union on Thursday imposed additional sanctions on Russia, following measures announced by U.S. President Donald Trump the previous day targeting the Russian oil sector, in an effort to push Moscow into negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, AP reported.

The sanctions are intended to reduce Russia’s revenue streams that finance its invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking in Brussels, welcomed the move, saying, “We waited for this. God bless, it will work. And this is very important".

Despite international efforts to mediate a peace settlement, the conflict shows no signs of ending after more than three years. Ukrainian forces have largely held back Russia’s larger army along a roughly 1,000-kilometre (600-mile) front line in eastern and southern Ukraine, while Russia continues near-daily long-range strikes against Ukraine’s power grid ahead of the winter, AP reported. Ukrainian attacks have targeted Russian oil refineries and industrial facilities in response.

Energy exports remain a critical component of Russia’s economy, funding military operations without triggering major inflation or a currency collapse. The EU sanctions focus on Russian oil and gas, a shadow fleet of ageing tankers circumventing existing sanctions, and Russia’s financial sector. A new system will also limit the movement of Russian diplomats within the 27-member bloc, AP reported.

Zelenskyy urged other countries to implement similar measures, describing the EU sanctions as “a good signal to other countries in the world to join the sanctions,” AP reported. European and U.S. officials have debated the approach for months, weighing how to maximise pressure on Moscow, which has demonstrated skill in evading previous sanctions.

The EU’s latest package took nearly a month to finalise. The bloc has already adopted 18 rounds of sanctions against Russia since the start of the war. U.S. sanctions, announced on Wednesday, target Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil. Trump delayed plans for a direct meeting with President Vladimir Putin, saying he did not want it to be a “waste of time,” AP reported.

In a related development, Putin directed drills of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces on Wednesday, a move seen as a reminder of the country’s nuclear capability, AP reported.

(With inputs from AP)