The U.S. imposed new sanctions against Russia’s two biggest oil companies on Wednesday in an effort to press Russian leader Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire, President Trump said.
Why it matters: This is the first time the U.S. has imposed sanctions against Russia over the war with Ukraine since Trump assumed office.
For months, Trump said imposing sanctions on Russia would undermine his diplomatic efforts to end the war. The shift suggest he thinks that approach has failed.