The President of the United States, Donald Trump, responded on Thursday with a short and provocative statement to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, who had downplayed the effects of new American sanctions on the Russian energy sector. “I’m glad he feels that way,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I’ll inform you about it in six months. Let’s see how it will work,” he added, quoted by Kyiv Post.
According to digi24.ro, the American leader’s comment came just a few hours after Putin had labeled the sanctions as an “unfriendly” act, arguing that they “will not significantly affect our economic well-being”.
The exchange of remarks highlights the escalating economic confrontation between Washington and Moscow, after the Trump administration imposed a new package of radical sanctions on the Russian energy industry and cancelled the planned summit with Putin, in response to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Although the immediate financial effect of the sanctions might be limited, the measures send a clear signal of the White House’s intention to put pressure on the Kremlin to force it to accept a peace agreement.
Trump’s provocative tone was amplified by Republican leaders. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) wrote on social media:
“Putin claims he is immune to American sanctions. As President Trump very well said today, time will tell.”
Graham called for additional measures, stating:
“I would suggest that Putin’s clients not be immune to tariffs applied as punishment for buying cheap Russian oil to support Russia’s war machine. We’ll see if they will also have the same cavalier attitude.”
Analysts at Capital Economics noted that the new sanctions “could be a big enough shock to turn the global oil market into a deficit next year”, although the impact will depend on how they will be applied.
In a joint statement, the Republican leadership of the Armed Services Committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives – Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL) – welcomed the White House’s decision, advocating for additional measures.
They proposed the cessation of all energy imports from Russia, the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s security, and the use of European funds to supply long-range Tomahawk and Taurus missiles.
