US Imposes Additional Sanctions on Russian Energy Sector: "Immediate Ceasefire in Ukraine Needed"

Assets of Two Major Russian Oil Companies Frozen
"We Will Undermine Russia's Ability to Fund the War"

The Donald Trump administration in the United States announced additional sanctions against Russia on the 22nd (local time), intensifying pressure on the country.

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by AP Yonhap News

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the U.S. Department of the Treasury stated, "We are imposing additional sanctions on Russia because it is not engaging seriously in peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine."

The U.S. Treasury Department explained that these sanctions "will increase pressure on Russia's energy sector and weaken the Kremlin's ability to finance the war and sustain its weakened economy." The department also stated, "The United States will continue to support a peaceful resolution to the war, and lasting peace depends entirely on whether Russia is willing to negotiate in good faith. The Treasury will continue to use its sanction authorities to support peace negotiations."

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said, "Now is the time to stop the bloodshed and agree to an immediate ceasefire," urging allied countries to join and follow these sanctions.

The companies designated for sanctions include two major Russian oil companies, Rosneft Oil Company and Lukoil, along with their subsidiaries. The Treasury Department stated that these companies were designated because they operate in the energy sector of the Russian Federation's economy, and that any entity in which these companies directly or indirectly hold more than a 50% stake will have its assets frozen.

These sanctions were announced as President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin showed differences over ending the war in Ukraine. President Trump, who previously played a leading role in brokering the Gaza ceasefire agreement, has expressed his determination to also end the war in Ukraine. On the 16th, President Trump had a phone call with President Putin and announced that a U.S.-Russia summit would be held in Hungary within the next two weeks. However, as differences over how to end the war in Ukraine emerged during the preliminary discussions between the two sides, the summit now appears unlikely to take place.

Russia is insisting that Ukraine must give up the entire Donbas region (Donetsk and Luhansk) as a precondition for peace negotiations. On the previous night, Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of six people, including two children.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders issued a joint statement the previous day, urging that "pressure on Russia's economy and defense industry must be intensified until President Putin is ready to achieve peace."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.