After Russia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine to date, using groups of missiles and drones, U.S. President Donald Trump hinted that Washington would step up its economic pressure campaign in a big way. Washington has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin many times not to back down, but he hasn’t. This has led the U.S. to publicly consider a “second phase” of sanctions and harder tariffs.
What Donald Trump Said About New Sanctions
On Sunday at the White House, Trump was asked if he was ready to put more sanctions on Russia and the countries that buy its oil. “Yeah, I am,” was his short answer. Even though it was short, his government was ready to go beyond the current measures and put in place secondary sanctions against Russia’s main trading partners.
Donald Trump: Focus on India’s Oil Purchases
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that countries like India that keep buying oil from Russia might have to pay higher tariffs in response. Since the war in Ukraine started, India has become one of Russia’s biggest buyers of crude oil. It refines the oil and sells it on markets around the world. Trump already put a 25% tariff on Indian products earlier this year, which made import taxes on Indian goods 50% higher. Now, officials say that even higher taxes might be coming soon.
The “Second Phase” Strategy
Reports say that Washington and the EU are thinking about putting secondary sanctions on countries that do business with Russia, especially in the energy industry.
- Put huge taxes on goods, maybe even up to 500% on some of them, if laws in Congress are passed.
- Try to bring down Russia’s economy by cutting off the sources of money that pay for its war in Ukraine.
Effects on International Peace
India is a key partner that the US has been trying to get closer to over the past few years. The U.S.’s actions could make those ties weaker. New Delhi says that the energy it buys is necessary for the economy to stay stable, but Washington says that these purchases “fuel the Russian war machine.”
Moscow, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to be bothered. Putin has ignored U.S. warnings and is continuing to expand his military actions in Ukraine, which has made Washington look for stronger ways to put pressure on him.
- This is what lies ahead for Russia: If penalties get tougher, there will be even less trade.
- India is facing a possible trade war with the United States, which could hurt important export industries.
- For global markets, there is more uncertainty about energy sources and trade problems.
With Putin pushing forward in Ukraine and Trump making it clear that he won’t think twice about striking countries that indirectly help Russia, the world may be entering a new phase of economic and political conflict.
