Russia furious as Trump sanctions energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil

Russia reacted with outrage after President Donald sanctioned Russian energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil.

Russia reacted with outrage Thursday after the United States imposed substantial sanctions on its two largest oil companies, the first economic punishments slapped on Moscow by President Donald Trump during his second term.

Experts said it remains to be seen, however, the extent to which this move may damage the Russian economy or Vladimir Putin’s war machine, as Trump hopes to pressure Moscow to halt its assault on Ukraine.

Days after canceling a planned summit with Putin, citing a lack of progress in the negotiations, Trump took the major step by effectively blacklisting Rosneft and Lukoil.

The announcement was welcomed by Kyiv and its European allies, which added their own new raft of sanctions on Moscow, earning the ire of Russian officials and the state-controlled media.

Speaking to journalists at the Kremlin on Thursday, Putin called the sanctions an "unfriendly act" but quickly brushed off their likely impact. "They are serious in nature and will have certain consequences, but they will not have a significant impact on the health of our economy," he said.