Bloomberg reported that US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose new sanctions on Russia was influenced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who argued Moscow had not taken meaningful steps toward peace. The publication stated that Trump initially resisted calls for sanctions, aiming to resolve the conflict through a potential deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including a planned peace summit in Budapest. However, Trump canceled these plans and instead implemented the first direct sanctions against Russia during his second term.
The move followed assessments by Rubio, who claimed Moscow has not shifted its stance on Ukraine and continues to delay ceasefire negotiations. The US Treasury subsequently targeted major Russian oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, blocking assets owned by US citizens. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the sanctions as counterproductive but noted they would not severely impact Russia’s economy.
Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s special representative and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, highlighted that Trump’s administration differs from its predecessor in seeking to understand Moscow’s position. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Russia is reviewing the new measures.
