Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to the latest round of US sanctions targeting Russia’s two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, calling them “serious” but ultimately not strong enough to significantly affect Russia’s economic well-being.
The sanctions, which are the first implemented since Donald Trump returned to office, were labeled by Putin as an “unfriendly act” that hinders the fragile recovery of Russia-US relations.
Dialogue vs. Confrontation
Despite the imposition of new restrictions, Putin maintained Russia’s support for continuing bilateral discussions: “Dialogue is always better than confrontation or any disputes, and especially war.”
This statement comes as President Trump has reportedly grown frustrated with Putin over the lack of progress in peace talks, particularly concerning a ceasefire, following the collapse of plans for a summit in Budapest.
Warning on Military Response
However, Putin also issued a clear warning regarding military escalation. He stated that if Russia were attacked using US Tomahawk missiles (which Ukraine has sought), the response would be “very strong, if not overwhelming.”
