Message to Putin

USA slows down Russia’s oil giants

Ice age between Trump and Putin? In any case, the USA is imposing new sanctions against Russia.(Bild: AFP/ILYA PITALEV, SARAH MEYSSONNIER)

The US government has imposed new sanctions against major Russian oil companies - specifically against Rosneft and Lukoil, as well as all subcontractors of the companies that are commercially active in the US. US President Donald Trump has also finally canceled a summit meeting with Vladimir Putin.

In view of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's refusal to end the war against Ukraine, his ministry is imposing sanctions against Russia's two largest oil companies, which are financing Moscow's war machine, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was quoted as saying in a statement.

Trade with subcontractors also prohibited
In concrete terms, the sanctions mean that business activities with affected persons or companies in the USA are prohibited. Anyone who does not comply with this will face severe penalties. All assets of the affected companies in the USA or owned by American citizens will be frozen.

Rosneft and Lukoil are not only active in the oil and gas trade, they also operate drilling rigs, oil fields, refineries and a geological company entrusted with the search for natural gas and rare earths via subcontractors. 

The EU member states had previously agreed on the 19th package of sanctions against Russia on Thursday night. The plans include further reducing Russia's income from the sale of gas and oil, as announced by the current Danish EU Council Presidency in Brussels. The decision was made possible because Slovakia followed Austria in withdrawing its veto.

Ice age between Trump and Putin? In any case, the USA imposes new sanctions against Russia.(Bild: AFP/ILYA PITALEV, SARAH MEYSSONNIER)

Meeting finally canceled
Shortly after the announcement of the sanctions, US President Donald Trump also said that he had canceled the previously promised early meeting with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Budapest. It didn't feel like we were going to get where we needed to go, said the Republican at a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the White House. According to Trump, however, there should be a meeting between him and Putin in the future.

"Well, I think in terms of honesty, all I can say is every time I talk to Vladimir, I have good conversations - and then they go nowhere," he said. "They just don't lead to anything." The US President has thus once again changed his position on efforts to end the Russian war against Ukraine.

Just last week, after a phone call with Putin, Trump surprisingly announced that he wanted to meet the Russian in the Hungarian capital Budapest to discuss the war in Ukraine. Initially, the Republican did not specify a date - but shortly afterwards he spoke of "probably in the next two weeks".