Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the possibility of imposing additional sanctions on the Russian Federation to increase pressure on Moscow and compel it to cease military actions in Ukraine.
This is reported by Business • Media
U.S. Position on Pressure Against Russia
During the Riga Conference in 2025, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker emphasized that the United States still has many tools at its disposal to influence Russia in order to achieve peace. According to him, President Trump will continue to use economic pressure, including measures such as price caps on Russian oil and gas. Whitaker also reminded that the U.S. demands European countries completely cease purchasing Russian energy resources.
“Trump will continue to apply leverage on the Russian Federation, one of which is the price cap on Russian oil and gas. Whitaker also reminded of Trump’s demand for Europe to stop purchasing Russian energy resources.”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added that a decrease in the volume of Russian oil imports from India is expected soon – this should happen within the next few weeks or months.
Increase in Energy Imports from Russia in EU Countries
Despite the overall trend of reducing imports of Russian energy resources, several European Union countries are still increasing their purchases in 2025. According to experts, over the first eight months of this year, the EU collectively reduced imports of Russian energy resources by 20%, to €11 billion, compared to the same period last year. At the same time, seven countries, including those supporting Ukraine, have increased their purchase volumes.
In particular, France spent €2.2 billion on purchasing Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is 40% more than last year. The Netherlands’ expenditures reached nearly €0.5 billion (+72%). Hungary increased oil imports by 11% and, together with Slovakia, paid €5 billion for it. In Belgium, purchases of Russian LNG rose by 3%, in Croatia by 55%, in Romania by 57%, and in Portugal by 157%. It is worth noting that Portugal previously imported almost no Russian energy resources.
Compared to the pre-war year of 2021, Europe has significantly reduced its dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 90%. At that time, the EU imported them for a total of €133 billion. However, even amid the war, the total amount of energy purchases from Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion has already exceeded €213 billion, while the volume of aid to Ukraine during this period amounted to €167 billion.
Meanwhile, Serbia, a candidate for EU membership, expressed disappointment over Russia’s proposal for a short-term gas agreement that would only last until the end of the current year. Serbia sought to establish a long-term, three-year contract.