Kremlin Dismisses New U.S. and EU Sanctions, Calls Trump “Enemy of Russia”
By The Cheer News International Desk
Russia has blasted the latest wave of Western sanctions, claiming they are hurting Europe more than Moscow and warning that Washington’s new oil restrictions amount to “an act of war.”
The statement came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping sanctions on Russia’s top energy producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, in an effort to cut off the Kremlin’s wartime revenue stream.
But the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the EU’s and America’s punitive measures “have exhausted their potential” and are “working against Brussels itself.”
“The possibilities for expanding sanctions have been exhausted,” ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova declared, insisting that Moscow’s economy had developed “a strong immunity to such restrictions.”
Zakharova added that Trump’s sanctions send a “counterproductive signal” to diplomatic efforts in Ukraine, suggesting they would “undermine the prospects for settlement.”
⚔️ Medvedev: ‘Trump Has Declared War on Russia’
In an unusually direct rebuke, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev lashed out at Trump, calling him “an enemy of Russia” and accusing him of aligning with “crazy Europe.”
“The US is our enemy, and their talkative peacemaker has now fully embarked on a path of war with Russia,” Medvedev said, referring to Trump.
“The decisions taken are an act of war against Russia.”
The rhetoric underscores the growing hostility between Washington and Moscow following Trump’s return to the White House earlier this year.
🛢️ Trump’s Sanctions Target Putin’s Oil Lifeline
Announcing the measures on Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions aim to “cut the financial arteries funding Putin’s war machine.”
“As long as Putin refuses to end this senseless war, we are sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies,” Bessent said. “Treasury is ready to take further action if necessary to support President Trump’s effort to end this war.”
The restrictions freeze assets and ban U.S. entities from doing business with Rosneft and Lukoil, which together account for more than half of Russia’s oil exports.
🇺🇦 Zelensky: ‘Ukraine Will Not Surrender Territory’
At an EU summit in Brussels, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed claims that Kyiv was being pressured into peace talks that would cede territory to Russia.
“Ukraine is not under pressure to make concessions,” Zelensky said. “We will not surrender a single piece of our land.”
His comments came amid reports that Trump had privately urged Zelensky to consider Russia’s demands — a move described by analysts as “arm-twisting diplomacy.”
🧠 Analyst: Putin Won’t Back Down Yet
Political scientist Professor Donnacha Ó Beacháin of Dublin City University told Euronews that neither sanctions nor battlefield setbacks are likely to push Putin toward peace.
“Putin will only contemplate a ceasefire when he believes he is at risk of losing territory or power,” Ó Beacháin said.
“As long as he perceives even minimal progress, he has no incentive to stop.”
The professor added that North Korea and China have played a key role in keeping Russia’s war effort alive — with Pyongyang reportedly deploying “tens of thousands of troops” and shipping more ammunition to Russia than the entire EU has provided to Ukraine.
⚡ Bottom Line:
As Ukraine intensifies drone attacks on Russian infrastructure and the U.S. escalates sanctions, the war’s diplomatic track appears frozen.
With Moscow vowing defiance and Trump pledging to “end another war,” the global standoff over Ukraine’s future is now at its most volatile stage yet.
