Selim Ibraimi- The US and the EU have imposed new sanctions on Russia. They aim to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. Some analysts warn that Russia will back out for now. The new sanctions will keep Moscow out of the deal. There is a high chance of continuing the war in Ukraine indefinitely.
The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Russia last week. This is the first time since President Donald Trump’s new administration came to power in January of this year. The decision occurred because Russia lacked a serious commitment to the process. This process was initiated by the US to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine. According to the Treasury Department, the US actions will increase pressure on Russia’s energy sector. They will also weaken Moscow’s financial ability to wage war.
The Treasury Department statement said that the US will continue to support a peaceful resolution to the war. A lasting peace depends entirely on Russia’s willingness to negotiate in good faith. The U.S. has officially imposed full sanctions on the gas companies Rosneft and Lukoil, the Treasury Department announced. According to press releases, the sanctions will affect not only the parent companies. They will also impact dozens of their subsidiaries. These include oil refineries, mining companies, logistics firms, technology centers, and more. “Now is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate ceasefire,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
“President Vladimir Putin refuses to end this senseless war. As a result, the Treasury Department is imposing sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies. These companies are financing the Kremlin’s war.” “Our department is prepared to take further action if necessary to support President Trump’s efforts to end another war. We encourage our allies to join us in respecting these sanctions,” said Scott Bessent.
The US and the EU are acting together against Russia for the first time since President Trump took office. The President of the European Commission is Ursula von der Leyen. She spoke after a telephone conversation with US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. She said that this is a clear signal from both sides of the Atlantic. We will continue the collective pressure on the aggressor.
Immediately after the US decision, EU states approved the 19th package of sanctions against Moscow. This package also includes a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas. The incoming Danish presidency of the EU announced this in a statement on Wednesday. Under the EU sanctions package, the LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) ban will come into effect in two phases. Short-term contracts will expire in six months. Long-term contracts will end on January 1, 2027. The full ban is set a year ahead. This timeline accelerates the European Commission’s proposed plan to end the EU’s dependence on Russian fuels. The new EU package introduces travel restrictions for Russian diplomats. It also involves the freezing of 117 more ships from Moscow’s fleet. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote in a post on the X network. She stated that EU member states had approved the 19th package of sanctions against Russia. “We are keeping the pressure high on the aggressor. For the first time, we are hitting Russia’s gas sector – the heart of its war economy.” “We will not surrender until the people of Ukraine have a just and lasting peace.”
Meanwhile, Russian reactions were strong on Thursday. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said: “The US is our adversary. It’s so-called ‘peacemaker’ – meaning Trump – has now fully taken the path of war with Russia.” “We see this step as simply counterproductive,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news conference. “If the current US administration decides to follow the example of its predecessors,” she said. “The result will be the same. It will be a failure, both politically at home and detrimental to global economic stability,” Zakharova stressed.
In this regard, some analysts see the US sanctions as symbolic. Others have a different view. They stress the US determination that a peace agreement must be reached with concessions from Ukraine and Russia. Stuart Rollos is a researcher at the Center for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney. He told the BBC that the sanctions serve two main purposes. The first is to materially affect Russia’s industrial capacity to wage war. The second is to ultimately pressure Russia to accept peace terms. This pressure arises from the growing impacts of sanctions on their economy and society.
Michael Rascana is a senior analyst at the Military Transformations at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. He believes that, in the short term, new sanctions against Russia are unlikely to change the military balance in Ukraine. He explained that in the short term, the sanctions won’t have a significant effect. “As the margins of profit shrink, Russia will face difficult trade-offs. These will impact economic stability,” he told the BBC.
On the international sanctions front, Balkan governments have aligned themselves with EU policies despite their differences. They have been under pressure to accept EU sanctions on Russia. Serbia and the Bosnian Serbs have not supported US and EU sanctions. Serbia’s main oil company, NIS, is up to 45 percent owned by Russian gas companies. The latest US sanctions have forced NIS to look for other options on how to proceed. The US sanctions have raised fears in the Serbian government about the company’s future. These sanctions also threaten Serbia’s energy security.
Since February 2022, Serbian imports from Russia have fallen. With the new sanctions, the dependence is expected to take a different direction. The EU Enlargement Plan and other alternatives will push Serbia towards other geopolitical objectives. These objectives will impact North Macedonia. They will also affect Bosnia. Some other Balkan analysts say that the latest EU package will not change the reality created in Ukraine much. The new US sanctions will not change the reality there either. This impact is even less in the Balkans. Russia will be able to continue the war. It can even increase tensions on the eastern flank of NATO members. The situation is expected to extend beyond the Balkans.
The US and Russia announced a peace summit to be organized in Budapest, Hungary. However, the summit was canceled due to Russian-American disagreements. This development led to new sanctions against Russia. One fact is very clear that Russia, in the long term, must find a solution to end the war. Since January, the US, under President Donald Trump, has been working towards peace. This effort has received both criticism and support in the EU, Ukraine, Russia, and beyond. The recent US-EU cooperation was unexpected. This takes into account the strained transatlantic relations. Critics mention the rapid actions of the administration of President Donald Trump.
According to a CNBC report, the recent transatlantic synchronization will reduce Russia’s annual income. Previously, Russian profits from oil sales reached up to $ 100 billion. US-EU unity at this moment should certainly be another concern for Moscow and its allies.
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