- By Shivangi Sharma
- Thu, 23 Oct 2025 04:00 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Russia on Thursday issued a sharp warning to the United States after President Donald Trump announced sweeping sanctions on the country’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, saying the move would “backfire” and undermine diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
The new sanctions, announced Wednesday, mark a major escalation in Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Moscow. Trump, who had delayed additional measures for months, reportedly acted out of frustration after plans for a fresh summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest collapsed.
Moscow Slams ‘Counterproductive’ Move
Responding to the announcement, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the United States of sabotaging peace efforts. “We view this step as being entirely counterproductive, including in terms of signalling the need to achieve meaningful negotiated solutions to the Ukrainian conflict,” Zakharova said during her weekly briefing in Moscow.
She insisted that Russia’s economy had grown resilient after years of sanctions from Western nations. “Our country has developed a strong immunity to Western restrictions and will continue to confidently develop its economic potential, including its energy potential,” Zakharova added, suggesting that the new measures would fail to achieve their intended effect.
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Trump’s Patience Runs Out
Trump’s decision followed months of hesitation amid domestic political criticism that his administration was not taking a firm enough stance against Moscow. The US president reportedly lost patience after diplomatic channels with the Kremlin stalled. “Talks with Putin aren’t going anywhere,” Trump said during a briefing, announcing penalties targeting Russia’s energy giants, both crucial to the Kremlin’s revenues.
The sanctions freeze any US assets belonging to the two companies and restrict their access to global financial networks, significantly tightening the screws on Russia’s most powerful economic sector.
China Joins The Criticism
Beijing also voiced its disapproval of Washington’s move, calling the sanctions “illegal” and warning that they would only deepen divisions. “The measures have no basis in international law,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. “China opposes unilateral sanctions and believes that dialogue, not coercion, is the way to resolve disputes.”
China further criticised the European Union’s latest sanctions package, which targeted several Chinese firms accused of helping Russia evade trade restrictions. “China is neither the creator of the Ukraine crisis nor a party to it,” the official said. “We firmly oppose any actions that harm the legitimate interests of Chinese enterprises.”