(C) France 24
WASHINGTON — The United States is preparing a sweeping new round of sanctions targeting Russia’s "shadow fleet" and its energy intermediaries, signaled as a final pressure tactic to force President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. The move comes as the Trump administration intensifies its push for a ceasefire, warning that failure to agree to current peace proposals will result in a "strategic squeeze" on the Kremlin's primary revenue source.
Escalating Economic Warfare
According to sources familiar with the matter, the U.S. Treasury Department is finalizing a package that would blackball dozens of aging tankers—often referred to as the shadow fleet—which Russia uses to bypass Western price caps and export crude oil to global markets. The sanctions would also extend to the network of international traders and shipping firms that facilitate these high-risk transactions.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly discussed these measures with European diplomats in Berlin earlier this week. Following the meeting, Bessent emphasized on social media that while President Trump is a "President of Peace," the administration is prepared to prioritize the total disruption of Russia’s war chest if the conflict does not end.
The "90% Ready" Peace Deal
The threat of new sanctions serves as the "stick" in a carrot-and-stick diplomatic strategy. Recent reports from Berlin suggest that U.S. and European negotiators have reached a 90% consensus on a 20-point draft peace plan. Key components of the proposal include:
NATO-Style Guarantees: A security framework for Ukraine modeled after NATO’s Article 5, which would treat a future attack on Ukraine as an attack on all guarantor states.
Demilitarized Zones: The creation of a "free economic zone" in disputed regions like the Donbas to prevent further Russian advancement.
Congressional Approval: Efforts to make these security guarantees legally binding through the U.S. Congress to ensure long-term stability.
A Hardening Stance on Energy
This potential move follows a significant shift in U.S. policy in October 2025, when the Trump administration imposed direct blocking sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil. While the Kremlin has dismissed these measures as obstacles to "restoring relations," the U.S. maintains that the shadow fleet represents a critical vulnerability in Putin’s ability to finance prolonged military operations.
President Trump stated on Monday that an end to the war is "closer than ever," but officials have warned that the offer for security guarantees "will not be on the table forever." If the Kremlin remains intransigent on territorial demands—particularly concerning the Donbas and Zaporizhzhia—the U.S. is expected to move forward with the shadow fleet sanctions as early as this weekend.
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