The U.S. Donald Trump administration announced additional sanctions on Russia, pressing it to negotiate to end the war in Ukraine.
On the 22nd (local time), the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said, "As Russia is not engaging seriously in peace talks to end the war in Ukraine, we are imposing additional sanctions on Russia."
The Treasury Department said, "Through these sanctions, we will increase pressure on Russia's energy institutional sector and weaken the Kremlin's ability to finance the war and sustain its weakened economy," adding, "A lasting peace depends entirely on whether Russia is willing to come to the negotiations in good faith."
Companies designated for sanctions that day are two of Russia's large oil corporations, "Rosneft Oil Company" and "Lukoil," and their subsidiaries. These corporations became subject to sanctions for operating in the energy institutional sector of the Russian Federation's economy, and all legal entities in which these corporations hold 50% or more equity, directly or indirectly, will have their asset frozen.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, "Now is the time to stop the killing and move to an immediate cease-fire," adding, "We urge our allies to join and follow these sanctions."
Earlier, President Trump took a leading role in the Gaza cease-fire agreement and has expressed his intent to also end the war in Ukraine. On the 16th, he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and also announced that he would hold a U.S.-Russia summit in Hungary within two weeks.
However, in this process, President Trump has frequently shifted his stance. While he had emphasized sanctions on Russia, right after the call he warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, "If you don't do as Russia says, you will be dismissed," and barked, "Give up the Donbas territory," but as differences over plans to end the war were confirmed ahead of a summit with President Putin, the mood is to scrap the summit itself.
Russia carried out missile and drone attacks on Ukraine the previous night as well, killing six people, including two children.