- December 17, 2025
- 12:51 pm
- World News
The United States is preparing a new package of sanctions against Russia’s energy sector if Moscow does not agree to a peace settlement with Ukraine. This is reported by Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the discussions in Washington and Brussels.
These are not symbolic steps. The very infrastructure for bypassing restrictions, which Russia has been building in recent years, may be targeted.
Strike on the “shadow fleet” and oil intermediaries
According to the agency, the focus of the discussion is on the so-called “shadow fleet” vessels, as well as traders and companies that continue to ensure the export of Russian oil bypassing sanction regimes.
These measures were discussed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent with European ambassadors at the beginning of the week. The goal is to synchronize pressure and close the remaining logistical and financial “windows” through which Russian oil still enters the global market.
Sources claim that a decision on sanctions could be made as early as this week, but the final word remains with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Law against profits from Russian oil
Simultaneously, a new pressure tool has appeared in the U.S. Senate. Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S. Olga Stefanishina reported the registration of a bipartisan bill
Decreasing Russian Oil Profits Act of 2025.
The document provides for sanctions against individuals and companies that buy Russian oil or facilitate its import. The bill obliges the U.S. President within 90 days to implement the corresponding measures.
The formation of the sanctions list will be entrusted to the U.S. Treasury Secretary after consultations with the Secretary of State. This makes the process formalized and less dependent on political circumstances.
Moscow’s reaction: expected and without surprises
The Kremlin was not surprised by Washington’s plans. Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Moscow is aware of the development of new restrictions.
According to him, in the U.S. “it is no secret to anyone” that the sanctions agenda remains active. At the same time, Peskov traditionally stated that any sanctions harm the normalization of relations, without specifying what steps Moscow is ready to take to prevent them.
Sanction background of 2025
In the fall of 2025, the U.S. already imposed sanctions against the largest Russian oil companies — Lukoil and Rosneft. This was the first case of new energy restrictions during Trump’s presidency.
The consequences were significant.
Lukoil continues to seek buyers for foreign assets, the total value of which is estimated at approximately 20 billion dollars. Simultaneously, talks about a possible takeover by Rosneft have intensified.
Pressure intensifies from within and outside
The Russian oil industry is already operating in a heightened risk mode. The fall in global oil prices, caution from China and India, fearing secondary U.S. sanctions, and the narrowing of logistical routes create a cumulative effect.
The new package of sanctions, if adopted, could finally turn oil exports from a source of stable income into a constant zone of uncertainty for the Russian economy.
This is why the energy sector remains a key lever of Western pressure on Moscow — and the main subject of bargaining in the possible peace agreement, as consistently reported by NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency.
