US President Donald Trump has supported a key bipartisan bill to strengthen sanctions against Russia. The measure would allow for tariffs of up to 500% on countries buying Russian oil and other energy resources at discounted prices, potentially altering the global energy market balance and increasing pressure on Moscow.
Simultaneously, there is a new US approach to Venezuela. Washington is calling for the country's isolation from states like China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba, and is encouraging democratic reforms following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. A Ukrainian expert compared Venezuela’s regime to dictatorships in Russia and China, highlighting systemic human rights violations and declining living standards.
The US has long enforced sanctions against Venezuela for human rights abuses and the nationalization of American assets. Currently, only Chevron maintains a partial presence in Venezuela’s oil sector. The US policy remains focused on countering dictatorships and supporting democratic transformations.
A notable element of the new agreements is the obligation for Venezuela to sell oil under US oversight and to purchase American goods. This aims to reduce Russian and Chinese influence in the energy sector. New initiatives also target drug trafficking, which has implications for US security.
The central question is the political will of the Trump administration; the new legislation provides the president with tools to respond to other countries’ actions with sanctions. This could significantly impact global geopolitics and represent a major step in countering Russian influence and supporting democratic principles.
Observers note that the new sanctions and arrests caught the Kremlin by surprise and may prompt China, India, and Brazil to revisit their policy on cooperation with Moscow.
