Trump Imposes Fresh Sanctions on Russia, Targets Major Oil Companies to Push for Ukraine Peace Deal

Washington, Oct 2025 : For the first time in his second term, US President Donald Trump has announced a new round of sanctions against Russia, targeting its two largest oil companies — Rosneft and Lukoil — in a renewed attempt to pressure Moscow to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The sanctions, imposed by the US Treasury Department on Wednesday, extend to the companies’ subsidiaries as well. Officials cautioned that additional measures could follow if Moscow fails to de-escalate the war.

During a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump described the move as “tremendous sanctions” and expressed optimism that the restrictions would be temporary if both sides move toward peace.

“These are very big sanctions against their two major oil companies. We hope that they won’t be on for long. We hope that the war will be settled,” Trump said.

The President admitted that his earlier discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin had not produced meaningful progress.

“Every time I speak with Vladimir, I have good conversations, and then they don’t go anywhere. He’s fighting a war. It’s two very competent sides, and that’s the way war is. But I would say it’s time to make a deal,” Trump stated.

Trump revealed that he had called off a planned meeting with Putin in Budapest, Hungary, earlier this week, saying the timing did not feel right.

“We cancelled the meeting with President Putin. It just didn’t feel right to me — like we weren’t going to get to the place we have to get. So, I cancelled it, but we’ll do it in the future,” he explained.

The decision reportedly came after a phone call between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday.

Last week, Trump spoke with Putin for two and a half hours, later claiming “great progress” had been made during the conversation. The following day, he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House for what he described as a “very interesting and cordial” discussion.

“The meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was very cordial, but I told him, as I strongly suggested to President Putin, that it is time to stop the killing and make a deal,” Trump wrote later on Truth Social.

He also suggested that both leaders “stop where they are” and “claim victory,” implying that neither side stands to gain from prolonging the war.

After helping broker a ceasefire in Gaza earlier this month, Trump has shifted his focus to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, signaling that resolving it has become a top diplomatic priority for his administration.

Trump’s last high-profile meeting with Putin, held in Alaska in August, ended without any agreement, underscoring the challenges of achieving a negotiated peace.

Team Maverick.