The Brief October 23, 2025<\/p>\n
How the Gaza deal got done, a eulogy for the White House’s East Wing, and more<\/p>\n
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The U.S. Treasury and the European Union (E.U.) have both announced sanctions on Russia, increasing the economic and political pressure on Moscow in hopes that it\u2019ll push President Vladimir Putin toward establishing a cease-fire with Ukraine.<\/p>\n
\u200b\u200b\u201cI just felt it was time. We waited a long time. I thought that we\u2019d go long before the Middle East,\u201d U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, when asked about his Administration\u2019s decision to elevate sanctions against Russia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The U.S. levies target two major Russian oil companies, Open Joint Stock Company Rosneft Oil Co. and Lukoil OAO.<\/p>\n
The \u201cactions increase pressure on Russia\u2019s energy sector and degrade the Kremlin\u2019s ability to raise revenue for its war machine and support its weakened economy,\u201d read a statement<\/a> from the Treasury Department. \u201cThe United States will continue to advocate for a peaceful resolution to the war, and a permanent peace depends entirely on Russia\u2019s willingness to negotiate in good faith.\u201d<\/p>\n And the elevated sanctions could be the first of many, as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said his Department is \u201cprepared to take further action if necessary to support President Trump\u2019s effort to end yet another war.\u201d Urging Russia to terminate the conflict in Ukraine, Bessent added: \u201cNow is the time to stop the killing and for an immediate cease-fire.\u201d<\/p>\n On Thursday morning, the E.U. announced its own package<\/a> of sanctions against Russia, the 19th set of measures of its kind that will target a number of sectors. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is becoming increasingly difficult for Putin to finance his war. Every Euro we deny Russia is one it cannot spend on war,\u201d said Kaja Kallas, the E.U. High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.<\/p>\n Similar to the U.S., the E.U. has warned that further sanctions against Russia could follow, if a cease-fire is not reached.<\/p>\n In a sign that Trump\u2019s relationship with Putin is becoming strained, the U.S. President has canceled a meeting he was set to have with his Russian counterpart. \u201cIt didn\u2019t feel right to me. It didn\u2019t feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get, so I canceled it, but we\u2019ll do it in the future,\u201d Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday.<\/p>\n In August, Trump and Putin shared their first in-person meeting since 2019, joining forces for a high-stakes summit in Alaska. But the two failed to reach a deal during the sit-down, which ended earlier than expected.<\/p>\n Read More<\/strong>: Trump Says No Deal Reached With Putin<\/a><\/p>\n Meanwhile, Russia has responded furiously to the new sanctions.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe decisions taken are an act of war against Russia. And now Trump is fully in solidarity with crazy Europe,\u201d said former President Dmitry Medvedev via Telegram<\/a> on Thursday.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what to know about the latest measures placed upon Russia:<\/p>\n What sanctions has the U.S. imposed on Russia?<\/strong><\/p>\n The measures taken by the Trump Administration against Moscow focus specifically on Russian oil companies, in particular the largest two in the country, Open Joint Stock Company Rosneft Oil Company (Rosneft) and Lukoil OAO.<\/p>\n The Treasury is also imposing sanctions on over 30 subsidiaries of Rosneft and Lukoil, all of which are majority owned by the Russian oil giants, which Bessent says<\/a> are \u201cfunding the Kremlin\u2019s war machine.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump called the sanctions \u201ctremendous\u201d in the Oval Office on Wednesday, during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. \u201cWe hope that they won’t be on for long. We hope that the war will be settled,” said<\/a> Trump. \u201cWe would like to see them [Russia] just take the line that has been formed over a long period of time and go home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Trump did not clarify if this was in reference to a border proposal within Ukraine or a figurative line in terms of a cease-fire agreement.<\/p>\n The sanctions mean that all property in the U.S. owned by the companies, their subsidiaries, or persons within the companies are \u201cblocked\u201d and must be reported to the Treasury\u2019s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).<\/p>\n Any violation of the sanctions from U.S. or foreign nationals, as well as institutions that engage in certain activities with the sanctioned companies may receive civil or criminal penalties.<\/p>\n Also at risk of sanctions by OFAC are \u201cforeign financial institutions that conduct or facilitate significant transactions or provide any service involving Russia\u2019s military-industrial base.\u201d<\/p>\n Ukraine\u2019s President Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed the U.S. sanctions, referring<\/a> to them as \u201ca clear signal that prolonging the war and spreading terror comes at a cost.\u201d<\/p>\n Zelensky went on to thank Trump and his Administration for their efforts. \u201cIt is precisely pressure on Russia that will be effective for achieving peace, and sanctions are one of its key components,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The U.S. sanctions are considered \u201cto be exclusively counterproductive,\u201d said Russia\u2019s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Thursday<\/a>, who insisted that Russia has a \u201cstrong immunity\u201d to Western sanctions.<\/p>\n What sanctions has the European Union imposed on Russia?<\/p>\n Sanctions imposed on Thursday by the European Council cover a much broader set of sectors and issues regarding the war in Ukraine. There are measures against the energy, military, and financial sectors of Russia, as well as specific targets against those believed to be involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children.<\/p>\n The E.U. is banning imports of Russian Liquified Natural Gas (LNQ), starting January 2027 for long-term contracts and within six months for short-term contracts. This builds on top of the pre-existing sanctions on Russian companies Rosneft and Gazprom.<\/p>\n There are also sanctions included in the package against two Chinese refineries and an oil trading firm that the E.U. says are \u201csignificant buyers of Russian crude oil.\u201d<\/p>\n An additional 117 vessels owned by Russian oil companies or those carrying their products will be \u201csubject to a port access ban and a ban on the provision of a broad range of services related to maritime transport, bringing the total number of designated vessels to 557.\u201d<\/p>\n The E.U. is also widening its levies on five additional Russian banks involved in the trade of a crypto currency A7A5. As of now, eight banks and oil traders from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, the UAE, and Hong Kong that circumvent E.U. sanctions are subject to a transaction ban.<\/p>\n Restrictions are also being imposed on maintaining economic relationships with entities active in nine Russian special economic zones. \u201cThese zones are central to Russia\u2019s industrial and technological capacity, hosting enterprises engaged in the production or development of goods contributing to the Russian war effort,\u201d according to the E.U.<\/p>\n Arms producers in the UAE and China are being targeted among others for their supply of military goods to Russia.<\/p>\n The E.U. has agreed to expand its existing export ban, to include electronic components, rangefinders, and additional chemicals that are used in the manufacturing of military goods and systems.<\/p>\n The European Council has also announced, as part of the sanctions, further measures against those believed to be involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children. 11 individuals are being sanctioned, and a new criteria for identifying others potentially involved has been introduced.<\/p>\n Russia has reportedly referred to the expansion of European sanctions against Moscow as “largely exhausted<\/a>.”<\/p>\n European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the measures were \u201ckeeping the pressure high\u201d on Russia. \u201cFor the first time we are hitting Russia\u2019s gas sector\u2014the heart of its war economy. We will not relent until the people of Ukraine have a just and lasting peace,\u201d said von der Leyen<\/a>.<\/p>\n Zelensky met with President of the European Council, Ant\u00f3nio Costa, on Thursday, and gave his thanks to Europe for what he called \u201ca very important decision\u201d regarding the latest sanctions.<\/p>\n \u201cWe must not only defend ourselves but, together with all of Europe and the United States, put pressure on Putin to stop this war,\u201d said Zelensky<\/a>, adding that unified action \u201cis what will help compel Russia to end its aggression.\u201d<\/p>\n The Ukrainian President is currently in Brussels to discuss the possibility of using Russian central bank\u2019s frozen assets to fund Ukraine’s defense efforts, which he described as \u201cfully legal and fair\u201d and based on the model of reparations.<\/p>\n Some in Europe have been sceptical of the legality of the proposal, including Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. \u201cIf you make such a decision, it seems obvious to me that you need to know the legal basis and ensure that it is solid. Until then, I will not budge,\u201d he told reporters on Thursday<\/a>, after previously rejecting the idea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Brief October 23, 2025 How the Gaza deal got done, a eulogy for the White House’s East…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":522265,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5174],"tags":[2000,299,5187,1699,28423,332],"class_list":{"0":"post-522264","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-eu","8":"tag-eu","9":"tag-europe","10":"tag-european","11":"tag-european-union","12":"tag-news-desk","13":"tag-russia"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115423720857035258","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/522264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=522264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/522264\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/522265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=522264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=522264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=522264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}