For the first time since Donald Trump returned to power, the US appears willing to truly increase pressure on Russia with new punitive measures. The president has been hemming and hawing on the issue for months. Threatening punishment after particularly bloody bombings, or when Moscow launches thousands of drones over Ukrainian cities, only to correct himself time and again by giving Vladimir Putin extra time to make his move, something that never happens. Saying that Ukraine has no cards to win this game, that it must give up territory or that it can take it all back"and even go further." Talk, contradictions, and little action. This time, however, something may have changed in Washington, as seen yesterday with the suspension sine die of the planned bilateral summit between the leaders of the two powers in Budapest.
"We're going to announce, after the market closes this afternoon or first thing tomorrow, a substantial increase in sanctions on Russia," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at noon local time."President Putin has not been as honest and forthright as we would have liked. There were conversations in Alaska, but President Trump walked away when he realized things weren't moving forward. There have been conversations behind the scenes, but I think the president is disappointed with the current situation. So, either tonight or first thing tomorrow morning, we will announce a substantial increase in sanctions against Russia. This will be one of the most severe sanctions we've ever imposed against the Russian Federation," he added in an interview with Fox.
The country's Congress, now temporarily closed, has been preparing a sanctions package for months, led by Republican senators close allies of the president, but the leader has never given his approval. So far, he has opted to apply heavy pressure to kyiv, but much less so to Moscow, especially after speaking or meeting with Putin. But at the same time, even Trump has realized that the Kremlin is in no hurry or willingness to find a quick, negotiated solution to the war. And he is considering additional steps.
It's unclear what they're considering. Whether actual sanctions or tariff threats, like the ones he made in July. Trump has repeatedly urged the EU to further sever ties with Russia, especially its oil and gas, arguing that he would be ready to sanction if the Europeans further deviated. And now he has the opportunity.
Bessent's announcement, minutes before the visit of Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, comes almost at the same time as Washington's unofficial permission for Ukraine to use long-range weapons supplied by European allies but originally purchased from the US. Thus, yesterday Ukraine used a Storm Shadow cruise missile, supplied by Great Britain, to attack a Russian plant in Bryansk that produced explosives and rocket fuel, as confirmed by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on its social networks.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has always been reluctant to do this, and in fact a few months ago he unexpectedly cut off arms supplies to kyiv, citing stockpile problems in the US. But the White House forced him to turn the tap back on, while assigning responsibility for authorizing such ad hoc attacks to General Alexus Grynkewich, the highest-ranking general in Europe and NATO commander.
"This is a war that would never have happened if President Trump had been president, something President Putin himself acknowledged, and President Trump is trying to stop it. The president also negotiated a historic agreement to allow NATO allies to acquire American-made weapons," the White House said simply.
On the subject, Rutte had spoken hours earlier from the halls of the Capitol."I have full confidence in President Trump, he is the only one who can achieve this, he is the leader of the most powerful nation in the world. You are all citizens of the most powerful nation in the world, the most powerful economy, the most powerful army, and you have a president with a lot of experience thanks to his first term, and with a clear idea about how to end this war in a lasting and definitive way. He wants that. He wants to end the bloodshed. He wants to end the killings. Therefore, his leadership is crucial. He is clearly exercising it and he has to talk to all the leaders: he has to talk to Putin, he has to talk to Zelensky, exactly as he did with Gaza, putting pressure on all the parties involved to reach an agreement. And that is exactly what he is doing here," he added, emphasizing the use of weapons such as missiles that can punish Russia hundreds of kilometers away.
