Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s frequent campaign claims that he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of returning to the White House, a lasting ceasefire has not materialized. While Trump has made sustained efforts toward this goal, frustration is reportedly mounting over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unwillingness to fully cooperate. According to senior legal sources in Washington, the U.S. administration is now closer than ever to deploying what Trump has previously described as “devastating measures” against Russia.
Though the United States can independently impose new sanctions, the upcoming measures are expected to align with the European Union’s recently announced 17th package of sanctions. These focus heavily on curbing Russia’s energy export capabilities—particularly through its so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers used to circumvent existing embargoes. The EU added 189 vessels to its blacklist, bringing the total to 342, and extended sanctions to include Russian shipping company Volga Shipping, insurer VSK, and operators based in the UAE, Turkey, and Hong Kong.
In tandem, the United Kingdom has taken similar steps, targeting both vessels and firms facilitating the covert transportation of Russian oil. U.S. sanctions are expected to mirror this strategy by significantly expanding the list of targeted ships and associated energy companies beyond previous actions against Gazpromneft and Surgutneftegas.
This move follows the pattern of last year’s U.S. sanctions on Russia’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector. Just ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day on August 24, the U.S. Treasury and State Departments broadened their designations to include companies and projects central to Russia’s energy ambitions, such as the Ust Luga LNG Terminal, the Vostok Oil Project, and the Yakutia Gas Project. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt emphasized the administration’s commitment to “tightening the screws” on critical Russian energy infrastructure.
The EU has also taken aggressive steps in this area. In its 15th sanctions package, the bloc aimed to block Russian LNG movement through shadow tanker operations and introduced bans on the transshipment of Russian LNG via EU ports. Additionally, LNG imports into terminals unlinked to the EU pipeline network were prohibited. These actions are part of a broader EU goal to eliminate Russian fossil fuel imports entirely by 2027.
Looking ahead, both Washington and Brussels are preparing further measures with overlapping objectives. A senior EU energy official told that upcoming sanctions will intensify scrutiny of Russia’s SPFS financial messaging system—Moscow’s alternative to SWIFT. The EU previously banned all SPFS transactions outside of Russia and expanded sanctions on Belarus in its 16th sanctions package.
Additionally, discussions are underway within the EU to lower the current oil price caps—$60 per barrel for crude, $100 for premium products, and $45 for discounted ones. While President Trump had initially resisted similar measures over concerns for the U.S. oil sector, insiders suggest he may now be more open to the idea.
Parallel legislative efforts in the U.S. could further cement this coordinated stance. The bipartisan “Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025,” co-sponsored by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, proposes comprehensive primary sanctions against Russian financial institutions, as well as secondary sanctions targeting foreign entities that engage in business with sanctioned Russian firms.
The EU’s evolving sanctions regime also includes heightened enforcement and surveillance measures. Its May 6 roadmap outlines steps to eliminate Russian energy imports by 2027, including bans on new gas contracts and restrictions on uranium imports co-signed by the Euratom Supply Agency. The U.S. sanctions bill reflects these priorities, proposing tariffs of at least 500% on any country that knowingly trades in Russian-origin oil, uranium, natural gas, or related products.
According to Washington insiders, the overarching goals of these intensified sanctions are twofold: to end the war in Ukraine definitively, and to deter President Putin from initiating any further military conflicts in Europe.
