President Trump vehemently denied claims he had authorized Ukraine to use British-supplied missiles deep inside Russia, labeling the story “FAKE NEWS!” on social media. This denial came amid a major escalation of US pressure on Moscow, as the administration unveiled new sanctions against Russia’s top oil companies.
On Wednesday, the administration targeted Rosneft and Lukoil, aiming to cut off critical funding for Putin’s war in Ukraine. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared it was “time to stop the killing” and blamed Putin’s refusal to negotiate for the new penalties.
However, the sanctions announcement was partially overshadowed by the missile controversy. Trump refuted a story claiming he had lifted restrictions on Storm Shadow cruise missiles, stating, “The U.S. has nothing to do with those missiles, wherever they may come from, or what Ukraine does with them.”
This diplomatic maneuvering marks the latest swing in the administration’s Russia policy. The decision to sanction Russia’s economic powerhouses, Rosneft and Lukoil, is the most direct attempt yet to damage the Kremlin’s finances, following a 25% tariff on Indian goods for buying discounted Russian oil.
The new US sanctions align more closely with European allies. The UK has already sanctioned both firms, while the EU has targeted Rosneft and is preparing a new package to ban Russian LNG, blacklist “shadow fleet” tankers, and target Russian banks.