Trump to hit Putin with the economy! 'It's time for sanctions on Russia'

The US Treasury Department has added two major Russian oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, and their subsidiaries to its sanctions list. The department said in a statement that the move stemmed from Russia's failure to demonstrate a serious commitment to the peace process to end the war in Ukraine.

The statement, which included information that Russia's two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, have been added to the sanctions list, also noting that their subsidiaries have been added. The statement added that the sanctions will increase pressure on Russia's energy sector and "undermine the Kremlin's ability to generate revenue for war and support its weakened economy."

The statement, which stated that the US Treasury Department would continue to use its authority to support the peace process, said: "The United States will continue to advocate for a peaceful resolution of the war, and lasting peace depends entirely on Russia's willingness to negotiate in good faith."

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, whose views were included in the statement, also stated that sanctions were imposed on Russia's two largest oil companies that financed the war because Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to end the war.

"The Treasury Department stands ready to take further action, if necessary, to support President Trump 's efforts to end another war. We urge our allies to join us and comply with these sanctions," Bessent said.

TRUMP: THE TIME HAS COME

US President Donald Trump said, "I canceled the meeting with President Putin because it didn't feel right to me," regarding his planned but canceled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest.

US President Trump addressed the press while hosting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House. Regarding the planned but canceled summit with Russian President Putin, Trump said, "I canceled the meeting with President Putin because it didn't feel right. I didn't think we could reach our goal. That's why I canceled it, but we will do it in the future."

Expressing his great disappointment over the failure of Russia and Ukraine to reach an agreement, Trump implied that they would send harsher messages to Moscow with economic sanctions.

Sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil

US President Trump commented on Russia's decision to add two major oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, to the sanctions list, saying, "I felt the time had come, I've waited a long time. These are very heavy sanctions."

Emphasizing the importance of sanctions imposed on Russian oil companies, Trump said, "These are very significant sanctions against their two major oil companies, and we hope they don't last long. We hope the war ends."

US President Trump, who stated that his meetings with Putin were generally good, later complained that these meetings did not yield positive results.

Trump also argued that Russian President Putin "wants all of what he has seized in Ukraine," but that he is now ready to negotiate, saying, "We don't want him to take all of it."

He made reference to the issue of nuclear disarmament.

Trump, meanwhile, said that the Russian president had mentioned "the issue of nuclear weapons" in his phone call with Putin. "President Putin talked to me about de-escalation on the issue of nuclear weapons," Trump said. "I have no problem with that, I think it's a good thing. I think it's a very appropriate thing."

Stating that the United States is the country with the most nuclear weapons in the world, followed by Russia in second and China in third place, Trump stated that he was open to negotiations on nuclear disarmament.

NATO Secretary General Rutte said he believes Trump has influence over Putin and can persuade him to stop the war.

Rutte underlined that NATO will continue to provide strong support to Ukraine.

TRUMP: I DON'T WANT TO MEET WITH PUTIN FOR NO PURPOSE

US President Donald Trump, when asked about the summit with Putin, which was planned to be held in Budapest but reportedly has been postponed, said, "I don't want to have a pointless meeting. I don't want to waste my time." The US president continued, implying that the meeting could still take place, saying, "We haven't made a decision yet."

Responding to a question about why he canceled the meeting with Putin, Trump said, "I didn't say anything. I didn't say that. You never know what's going to happen. We'll let you know what we're going to do in the next two days," indicating that a potential summit is still possible. The US President stated that he still believes a ceasefire is possible in the Russia-Ukraine War.

Rutte says Putin can be persuaded to agree to a ceasefire through "determined pressure"

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte answered questions from the press following his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. Rutte stated that his meeting with Trump was very productive, and that they discussed how NATO could contribute to ending the Russia-Ukraine war and what steps could be taken to persuade Putin to accept the ceasefire.

Rutte, indicating that they are ready to act on common ground with Trump to end the war, said, "I think that with constant and determined pressure, we can force Putin to sit at the table on a ceasefire and then negotiations can begin."

Rutte stated that contacts between Trump and Putin could be critical for a ceasefire, saying, "Trump is the only leader who can sit Putin down and force him to change his approach. We must give him space in this process."

Noting that the US has re-engaged in the process regarding security guarantees for Ukraine, Rutte underlined that close work is being carried out with the US, Canada, Japan, Australia and relevant European countries within the framework of security commitments.

WHITE HOUSE: NO SUMMIT EXPECTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE

The White House, which made a statement on the issue yesterday, said that a summit between US President Trump and Russian President Putin is not expected in the near future.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), a US official said, "Foreign Minister (Marco) Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister (Sergey) Lavrov held a productive meeting. An additional face-to-face meeting between the two ministers will not be necessary, and President Trump is not scheduled to meet with President Putin in the near future."

US President Trump announced last week that he would meet with Russian President Putin in Budapest to discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine war.