Description: US President Donald Trump, announced that he would meet certain European leaders this week, where discussion would be held to impose a new wave of sanctions on Russia in order to hamper the country’s abilities to continue the war in Ukraine. Trump has so far refused to resort towards growing economic pressure on Russia, however, the latest wave of aerial attacks on Ukraine’s capital has allegedly convinced the US President of undertaking additional measures to draw Russia closer to the negotiating table. Russia launched more than a thousand drones and 80 cruise ballistic missiles which resulted in the deaths of at least four people and inflamed Ukraine’s Parliament. Separate strikes targeted a power station near Kyiv causing large – scale disruptions and blackouts all across the capital. Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov has renounced Trump’s statements regarding the sanctions, claiming that Russia has adapted its wartime economy to be able to resist economic pressure.
Impact: Ukraine’s western allies despite showing signs of unification are rapidly running out of options to put pressure on Russia and force it to reengage diplomatically. President Putin and Xi Jinping have recently pledged even more expanded bilateral cooperation, denouncing any attempts for reconciliation with their western adversaries. The new wave of sanctions represents a public response more than it represents a pressure measure as it depicts the frustrations coming from the US, after Trump’s unsuccessful diplomatic overtures with Putin and Zelensky. The development for the time being doesn’t impact realities on the ground, as Russia has demonstrated its capability to illegally fuel it’s natural resource – driven economy in order to support its war in Ukraine. Europe and the US are currently left with the singular option of heavily rearming Ukraine and exerting as much economic pressure on Russia as possible in order to inflict modifications and changes within the conflict’s power dynamics.