Washington: In a fresh escalation of tensions surrounding the Russo-Ukraine war and global energy flows, U.S. President Donald Trump signaled on Sunday that he is prepared to impose additional sanctions on Russia. Asked on his way to the US Open Final, if he was ready to escalate punitive measures on Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Trump replied, “Yeah, I am.”
This firm affirmation follows comments made earlier by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who urged the implementation of further sanctions targeting countries that continue to import Russian oil—countries like India have become prominent in these discussions. “If the US and the EU can come in with more sanctions, more secondary tariffs on the countries that buy Russian oil, the Russian economy will be in full collapse and that will bring President Putin to the table,” Bessent told NBC.
Bessent emphasized that such an economic collapse was necessary to “ensure the collapse” of the Russian economy and compel President Putin toward negotiations. This renewed push for sanctions comes despite recent diplomatic overtures between President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom Trump and Modi exchanged friendly public interactions with just days earlier.
Russia is already under crippling sanctions from both the US and Europe since the start of the war. Moscow has found customers for its oil and gas in India, China and elsewhere, ensuring a revenue flow. Top US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have said the US wants to squeeze this revenue stream. They have dubbed Ukraine conflict “Modi’s war”. Trump himself accused India of “fueling the Russian war machine”.
