Washington intends to increase pressure on Moscow in the event of its refusal of the revised peace agreement with Ukraine. According to Bloomberg, new measures may affect the vessels of the "shadow fleet" and oil traders.
The U.S. is considering the possibility of introducing a new package of sanctions against Russia's energy sector to increase pressure on Moscow if it rejects the revised peace agreement with Ukraine, American agency Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, December 17, citing sources.
According to them, restrictions are being discussed regarding the vessels of Russia's "shadow fleet" as well as oil traders who facilitate deals. These plans were discussed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier this week at a meeting with a group of European ambassadors, Bloomberg notes.
Agency sources report that the U.S. may present the new sanctions package as early as this week. However, the final decision, according to them, rests with President Donald Trump.
Bill in the Senate and the Kremlin's Position
Meanwhile, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Olga Stefanishina, stated that four American senators representing the Republican and Democratic parties have introduced a bipartisan bill in the Senate that provides for sanctions for the purchase or facilitation of the import of Russian oil and petroleum products. The document is titled the Decreasing Russian Oil Profits Act of 2025.
According to Stefanishina, if the bill is passed, the U.S. president will have to impose sanctions against individuals and companies facilitating the import of Russian oil within 90 days. The formation of the sanctions list will be entrusted to the Treasury Secretary after consultations with the U.S. Secretary of State.
Russian President's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow is aware of the plans to develop new sanctions. "It is well known that there are such plans in certain offices in Washington. Any sanctions harm the process of establishing relations. This is obvious," Peskov said.
Previous U.S. Sanction Measures
At the end of October, the U.S. imposed sanctions on two of Russia's largest oil companies - Lukoil and Rosneft. This was the first instance of sanctions against Russia during Trump's second presidency.
According to Bloomberg, Lukoil is continuing to seek a buyer for its foreign assets, which are estimated at $20 billion, due to the sanctions.
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