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Hawkish former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev had earlier described sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil as an ‘act of war’
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Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow will not bow down to US pressure after the Trump administration imposed a harsh set of sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies.
The sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil are an “unfriendly” act which “will have certain consequences”, Putin said, adding that Russia’s energy sector feels confident.
“This is, of course, an attempt to put pressure on Russia,” he added. “But no self-respecting country and no self-respecting people ever decides anything under pressure.”
The Russian president also claimed it will not “significantly affect” Moscow’s economic well-being, and warned. The price of oil has jumped by 5.6 per cent since the sanctions were announced.
Earlier in the day, Russia’s hawkish former president Dmitry Medvedev said American sanctions on Russian oil were an “act of war” against his nation.
Donald Trump had announced new sanctions on two of Russia’s largest oil companies over Vladimir Putin’s “refusal” to end the “senseless war” in Ukraine – the first such measures since he began his second term as US president.
The US Treasury said it was sanctioning Rosneft and Lukoil in response to Putin’s “lack of serious commitment to a peace process”.
After President Donald Trump is reported to have tossed aside maps of the terrain across Russia and Ukraine during talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky last week, the Ukrainian leader made his position on borders clear at a press conference in Brussels on Thursday.
Asked about the possibility of territorial concessions, Zelensky said: “No territorial concessions.”
Vladimir Putin has threatened an “overwhelming response” if the Trump administration lifts restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles provided by Western allies.
Asked about a Wall Street Journal report which suggested Washington may take the move, and remarks by Volodymyr Zelensky about domestic missiles with a range of 3,000 km (1,900 miles), Putin said: “This is an attempt at escalation.”
“But if such weapons are used to attack Russian territory, the response will be very serious, if not overwhelming. Let them think about it,” he added.
President Vladimir Putin has hit back strongly against Donald Trump’s sanctions on two large Russian oil companies, warning that Moscow would never bow to pressure from the United States or any other country.
US sanctions are an “unfriendly” act and “will have certain consequences, but they will not significantly affect our economic well-being,” Putin said. He added that Russia’s energy sector feels confident.
“This is, of course, an attempt to put pressure on Russia,” Putin said. “But no self-respecting country and no self-respecting people ever decides anything under pressure.”
Putin said breaking the balance in the global energy markets could lead to a hike in prices that would be uncomfortable for countries such as the United States, especially given the internal political calendar in the United States.
Melania Trump’s back-channel efforts to effect the return of Ukrainian children who’ve been kidnapped by Russian forces have been lauded by both President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Andrew Feinberg reports:
Any action by the EU to confiscate Russian assets in Euroclear accounts will result in a “painful response” from Russia, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
The EU has no legal means to seize Russian assets, so their confiscation would be ‘theft,’ Zakharova said.
A critical region of Ukraine became the centre of a heated debate between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump during a White House meeting, according to reports.
Vladimir Putin has long demanded that Ukraine cede the Donbas to Moscow, a chunk of eastern Ukraine the majority of which has been occupied by Russian forces since its February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Alex Croft reports:
Hundreds of starving and marooned Russian troops are being killed by Ukrainian drones in the “death zone” of the Dnipro delta, according to a report.
The river, surrounded by low-lying marshy islands, is split between Russian control on the left bank and Ukrainian control on the right.
At least 5,100 Russians have died in the area since January this year, some from starvation, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
Speaking now in Brussels, Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian frozen assets should be made available for the purchase of both European and American weapons.
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