Russia Calls US an ‘Enemy’ as Trump’s Oil Sanctions Spark Global Tension

International News: As US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Russia’s two biggest oil companies with sanctions in his latest sharp policy shift on the Ukraine war, the move has prompted a sharp response from Moscow. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s deputy chairman of the security council, called the United States an "enemy" and described the sanctions as an "act of war." He also criticised Trump, saying the so-called "peacemaker" has chosen a path of confrontation with Russia by siding with what he called "loony Europe."

Medvedev shared his views on Telegram, saying, "The US is our enemy, and their talkative 'peacemaker' has now fully embarked on the warpath with Russia." He added, "The decisions taken are an act of war against Russia. And now Trump has fully aligned himself with loony Europe." Meanwhile, Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, told reporters in Moscow that the root causes of the Russia-Ukraine conflict must be addressed and emphasized that Russia’s goals in Ukraine remain unchanged.

US Sanctions Russian Oil Giants

The Trump administration has sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia’s top two oil companies, in an effort to pressure the Kremlin to negotiate an end to its war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the new sanctions, calling them "very important," while noting that additional pressure on Moscow would still be needed to achieve results.

Trump Cancels Putin Summit

Trump announced on Wednesday that the planned Budapest summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin was cancelled. He said he did not expect the meeting to deliver the results he wanted and added that previous discussions with Putin had not progressed as hoped. Following an August summit in Alaska, Trump had abandoned his demand for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and instead considered negotiating a broader peace settlement, a proposal favored by Moscow.

Global Impact on Oil Prices

At the White House, Trump explained, "We cancelled the meeting with President Putin — it just didn’t feel right to me. It didn’t feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get. So I cancelled it, but we'll do it in the future." The announcement of sanctions led to a 3% rise in global oil prices on Thursday, reflecting concerns about reduced Russian oil supplies.