US President Donald Trump surprised his closest advisers with his decision to impose sanctions against Russian oil companies, CNN reported , citing sources in the US president’s administration.
The channel’s sources said the issue of imposing new restrictions on Russia had been discussed for several months. On the eve of the sanctions’ adoption, Trump told his advisers that his “instincts” told him that “the time has come.”
According to CNN, Trump could impose new sanctions after he managed to achieve a settlement to the conflict in the Gaza Strip after putting pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Washington imposed new sanctions against Russia on October 22. At the same time, Trump canceled a planned meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Hungary. The American president believed that the two sides “would hardly have been able to reach an agreement” on resolving the Ukrainian conflict.
On the evening of October 23, Putin described the new sanctions against Russia as serious. He said they would have certain consequences, but they “would not have a significant impact” on the country’s economy.
