Trump’s decision is a significant policy reversal. Until now, he had avoided sanctioning Russia directly over the war, focusing instead on tariffs and trade measures. Earlier this year, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods after India increased purchases of discounted Russian oil.
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NATO Leaders Back Trump’s Decision
Trump announced the sanctions alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who was visiting Washington to discuss Ukraine’s defense needs.
“You have to put pressure,” Rutte said. “The sanctions are about changing the calculus for Putin and getting him to the negotiating table.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed this sentiment in an interview with Fox Business, saying:
“President Putin has not come to the table in an honest and forthright manner, as we’d hoped. These sanctions are meant to send a clear message that time is running out.”
Trump and Putin last met in Anchorage, Alaska, in August, during a high-profile summit that produced little progress. A follow-up meeting planned for Budapest was canceled by Trump, who said he didn’t want to “have a waste of time.”
Analysts Say Trump Sanctions Could Be “Long Overdue”
Experts are calling the sanctions a necessary but overdue step. Edward Fishman, a former U.S. official and now a senior research scholar at Columbia University, said the real question is whether the administration will go further.
