US President Donald Trump will intensify sanctions against Russia to force Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to sit down at the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine. This was stated in an interview with Bloomberg by US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, as reported by UNN.
Details
We have imposed these sanctions. We plan to enforce them. Perhaps this will help President Putin sit down at the negotiating table and end this war, and at least reach a ceasefire agreement so that we can negotiate a final resolution. President Trump has all the cards in his hand, this is just one of them that he is playing.
According to the publication, crude oil prices jumped after the announcement of sanctions. However, the market reaction was subdued due to a misunderstanding of how seriously the White House would apply new measures against Russia. Whitaker responded to these events: "This is just the beginning."
Recall
The United States Department of the Treasury officially imposed sanctions against leading Russian oil companies Rosneft, Lukoil, and their subsidiaries.
The US called on Moscow to "immediately" agree to end the war against Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin stated that the new US sanctions are serious but will not affect the Russian economy. He called them an attempt to exert pressure and an unfriendly act that does not strengthen Russian-American relations.
Donald Trump reacted to these words. He ironically noted that he was glad to hear about the dictator's "confidence" but said he would prefer to see how Russia copes with them.