China, India Adjust Russian Oil Purchases Following New Trump Sanctions
following the implementation of โnew sanctions by the trump administration โtargetingโฃ russian โenergy giants Rosneftโฃ and Lukoil, both โขChina and โIndia are demonstrating a shift in their purchasing patterns of Russian oil, according to reports. โThe sanctions, announced Wednesday,โฃ are the latest effort to pressure Russian President Vladimir โPutin into engaging in serious โคpeace negotiations regarding the 32-month-old conflict inโ eastern Europe.
The White House views the sanctions as aโฃ significantโ step, with one expert agreeing they are a “big deal,” but emphasizing that “the extent of their impact will depend largely on US enforcement.” This individual, whoโข wished to remain unnamed, stated that “If the administration is aggressive in pursuing violators,โ the sanctions willโ likely squeeze Russian revenue substantially. That will โขballoon Moscow’s deficit and make it more difficult for russia to sustain the war.”
Russia’s economy is already facing headwinds from highโ interest rates, declining oil revenues, andโ limited investment outside of its military sector. Theโ Vienna Institute for International economic Studies recently projected Russia’s GDP growth at just 1.2% โฃfor the current year, narrowly avoiding a recession.
The administration has โindicated a willingness to revisit potential talks with Putin,โ after previously scrapped plans for a summit in Budapest, Hungary. White Houseโ Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Thursday that “a meeting between these two leaders is not completely off the table,” โbut stressed Russia must first demonstrate a commitment toโฃ peace. “I think the โฃpresident and the entire administration hopes that one day โthat โcan happen again, but we want to โฃmake sureโ that there’s a tangible positive outcome out of that meeting, and that it’s a good โuse of the president’s time,” she said.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent affirmed โฃthe possibility of โfurtherโค sanctions if Putin does not move towards peace, stating his department was “prepared to take further โaction if necessary toโ support President Trump’s effort to end yet another โwar.”
Leavitt also highlighted trump’sโ consistent stance on Russia, saying he has “always maintained that he would implement sanctions on Russia when he felt it was appropriate and necessary – and yesterday was that day.” She explained that Trump believesโฃ “both sides โneed to be โคinterested โin a good peace deal,” and has “not seen enough interestโฆin enough action in terms of moving the ball forward towards peace” from Russia. Secretary ofโฃ State Marco Rubio echoed this โขsentiment,stating the president “has said repeatedly โฃfor a number of months now that at โขsome โpoint he will have to do something if weโค don’t make progress on the peace deal,” and “Today was the day he decided to do something.”
Alongside the US โmeasures, the European Union also announced new sanctions Wednesday, banning the purchase of Russianโ liquefied natural gas and targeting Chinese companies supplying dual-use goods – items applicable โขto both civilian andโ military sectors – that could help russia circumvent existing trade restrictions.
