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US NATO envoy states sanctioning Russia’s associates ‘obvious next step’
(MENAFN) Imposing sanctions and tariffs on countries that continue trading with Russia is the “obvious next step” in U.S. efforts to push for an end to the Ukraine conflict, according to Matthew Whitaker, Washington’s ambassador to NATO.
Although Russia has expressed openness to peace talks—holding three U.S.-mediated negotiation rounds with Ukraine in recent months that led to prisoner swaps and proposed settlements—it views the war as a Western-led proxy conflict. Moscow insists the fighting would stop if Kiev agrees to neutrality and demilitarization.
President Donald Trump, frustrated by slow progress in peace negotiations, has warned he may impose 100% tariffs and secondary sanctions on Russia’s key trade partners—including China, India, and Brazil—if a deal isn’t reached by August 8. These nations have continued to buy Russian oil, a major source of revenue for Moscow.
“This is about creating conditions that force Russia to negotiate a ceasefire,” Whitaker told Bloomberg TV on Monday. “Targeting the countries funding Russia’s war effort by purchasing its oil is the logical next step.”
While Trump admitted that new sanctions might not immediately succeed, Whitaker emphasized that cutting into Russia’s oil revenues could prove effective.
Trump also issued a direct warning to India, threatening tariffs if it doesn’t reduce its oil imports from Russia. India, however, has maintained that its energy trade with Moscow is vital to its national interests and has refused to participate in Western sanctions.
Since the Ukraine conflict intensified in 2022, Russia has been hit by multiple waves of Western sanctions, which it calls illegal and largely ineffective. Russian officials say the country has adapted by redirecting trade toward Asia, with China and India now among its top energy buyers. They have also dismissed Trump’s latest threats, claiming that years of sanctions have built resilience in Russia’s economy.
Although Russia has expressed openness to peace talks—holding three U.S.-mediated negotiation rounds with Ukraine in recent months that led to prisoner swaps and proposed settlements—it views the war as a Western-led proxy conflict. Moscow insists the fighting would stop if Kiev agrees to neutrality and demilitarization.
President Donald Trump, frustrated by slow progress in peace negotiations, has warned he may impose 100% tariffs and secondary sanctions on Russia’s key trade partners—including China, India, and Brazil—if a deal isn’t reached by August 8. These nations have continued to buy Russian oil, a major source of revenue for Moscow.
“This is about creating conditions that force Russia to negotiate a ceasefire,” Whitaker told Bloomberg TV on Monday. “Targeting the countries funding Russia’s war effort by purchasing its oil is the logical next step.”
While Trump admitted that new sanctions might not immediately succeed, Whitaker emphasized that cutting into Russia’s oil revenues could prove effective.
Trump also issued a direct warning to India, threatening tariffs if it doesn’t reduce its oil imports from Russia. India, however, has maintained that its energy trade with Moscow is vital to its national interests and has refused to participate in Western sanctions.
Since the Ukraine conflict intensified in 2022, Russia has been hit by multiple waves of Western sanctions, which it calls illegal and largely ineffective. Russian officials say the country has adapted by redirecting trade toward Asia, with China and India now among its top energy buyers. They have also dismissed Trump’s latest threats, claiming that years of sanctions have built resilience in Russia’s economy.
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