Russia has condemned the latest round of United States sanctions targeting its oil industry, warning that the move could derail ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
The US announced the new measures on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump saying he had lost patience with Moscow after months of stalled peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump, who had previously delayed further punitive steps against Russia, reportedly decided to act after plans for a new summit in Budapest between the two leaders collapsed.
Reacting to the development, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the decision as “entirely counterproductive,” saying it undermines attempts to reach a negotiated resolution to the conflict.
“We view this step as being entirely counterproductive, including in terms of signalling the need to achieve meaningful negotiated solutions to the Ukrainian conflict,” Zakharova said during her weekly press briefing in Moscow.
She added that Russia had developed what she called a “strong immunity” to Western economic pressure and would continue to expand its industrial and energy capacity despite the sanctions.
“Our country has developed a strong immunity to Western restrictions and will continue to confidently develop its economic potential, including its energy potential,” she said.
The latest sanctions reportedly target Russia’s two largest oil companies, tightening restrictions on trade, financing, and technology exports to the firms.
