UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged world leaders to intensify economic pressure on the Russian Federation during the G7 summit. He emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin “does not hold all the cards” in the war against Ukraine and stressed the need to use the current situation to compel the Kremlin to take peace initiatives seriously.
This is reported by Finway
New Sanctions Package Against Russia
On June 17, the UK announced a new sanctions package against Russia. The restrictions affected four individuals, six companies, and 20 vessels, including oil tankers, maritime companies, and electronics suppliers for the Russian Federation. The main goal of these sanctions is to reduce Russia’s energy revenues and diminish the financial resources that the country can direct towards aggression against Ukraine.
US Position and Donald Trump’s Reaction
US President Donald Trump is currently not in favor of expanding sanctions against Russia. He believes that additional restrictions would be too costly for the United States and expects a more active role from the European Union. Trump also expressed hope that Ukraine and Russia would be able to reach an agreement in the near future.
Trump noted that excluding Russia from the G8 in 2014 was a “big mistake” and led to the war against Ukraine. He added that Putin “was very offended when he was thrown out of the G8,” so now the Russian leader is only willing to talk to him, complicating the negotiation process.
Furthermore, the Trump administration recently disbanded an interagency task force that was created to develop strategies for pressuring Russia to accelerate peace negotiations. This decision indicates a shift in Trump’s approach to supporting Ukraine and a softening of rhetoric towards Russia.