US media report new sanctions against Russia as part of negotiation strategy
Reports have emerged in US media suggesting that President Donald Trump's administration is preparing to impose new sanctions on Russia. Some analysts believe this move could be part of a negotiation tactic.
CBS Reports on New Sanctions Targeting Russian Economy
CBS was the first to report on the potential tightening of sanctions. Citing sources close to the White House, the network claimed that the sanctions would target Russia's oil and gas sectors as well as the banking industry.
The report emphasized that stricter measures would make it harder for Russian companies to access US payment systems and complicate oil purchases from Russia by other countries. CBS also projected that this move could lead to a $5 per barrel increase in global oil prices. The timing of the sanctions coincides with Washington's efforts to convince Moscow to agree to a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict.
These Sanctions Existed Before Trump Took Office
There has been no official announcement from Washington regarding the new sanctions. However, prior to Trump's presidency, in January 2025, the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on:
- Gazprom Neft and its CEO Alexander Dyukov,
- Surgutneftegaz,
- Other Russian oil companies and tankers.
Additionally, the sanctions affected Russian firms providing services in the oil and gas industry as well as key figures in the Russian energy sector.
Despite these restrictions, there was a loophole – General License 8L – which allowed foreign companies to continue purchasing Russian energy through sanctioned banks. However, this license expired on March 12, 2025, and the US chose not to renew it.
Trump Administration Quietly Let the Sanctions Loophole Expire
Bloomberg reported that the Trump administration allowed the license to expire without drawing much attention.
"If you are a foreign oil refinery or an oil trader or someone buying Russian gas and your bank wants to pay Russia for their oil and gas in dollars or by extension, really any other Western currency, you’re going find that very difficult to do," Edward Fishman, a former State Department official who worked on Russia sanctions in 2014.
The full impact of this decision remains unclear. Daniel Tannenbaum, a former Treasury official and partner at Oliver Wyman, emphasized that it's impossible to assess how much financial flow actually went through this channel.
Tighter Sanctions Could Be a Negotiation Tactic
The US Treasury Department did not provide a reason for its decision, but some speculate that it could be a negotiation strategy aimed at pressuring Moscow to end the Ukraine conflict.
A Fox News source, cited by journalist Edward Lawrence on social media platform X, suggested that the timing of the CBS report was strategic. Just one day earlier, on March 11, US and Ukrainian delegations met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Kyiv agreed to a 30-day ceasefire with a possible extension.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed support for the ceasefire but with conditions. In response, Trump called Putin's statement "promising but incomplete" and said he hoped Russia would "do the right thing."