Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday dismissed sweeping U.S. sanctions targeting Moscow’s oil sector, calling them “serious but not decisive,” and vowed that Russia would not halt its military campaign in Ukraine under Western pressure.
The sanctions, imposed by the Trump administration, strike directly at Rosneft and Lukoil Russia’s top oil producers cutting them off from the U.S. banking system and dollar transactions. Washington aims to “degrade the Kremlin’s war revenue,” but Putin asserted that Russia’s economy “remains resilient and self-reliant.”
Global energy markets reacted instantly. Crude prices surged by nearly 5 %, and major importers like India and China began reassessing Russian oil purchases amid fears of secondary sanctions and disrupted freight routes. With oil and gas revenue forming almost a quarter of Russia’s federal budget, the measures mark one of the toughest economic offensives yet.
Calling the move “an unfriendly act,” Putin warned of “serious consequences” if Western weapons are used against Russian territory. “No nation with dignity yields to coercion,” he declared, reaffirming Moscow’s stance of defiance while keeping the option of dialogue open. The sanctions underline Washington’s attempt to weaken Moscow’s war economy, yet Putin’s defiance signals that economic pressure alone may not alter Russia’s military course.
