President Trump’s Russia strategy: Slow and steady wins the race
By Easton Martin | October 16, 2025
President Trump’s strategy toward Russia is starting to show results. The progress is coming slowly, but it is happening. Through a mix of diplomatic pressure and targeted sanctions, Washington is gradually tightening the financial screws on Moscow and pushing global partners to follow suit.
One of the biggest moves this week came when President Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him that India will begin phasing out Russian oil imports. India later clarified that it will act based on market conditions, but the conversation itself shows how far the discussion has come. Indian refiners are already exploring alternatives to Russian crude, and Japan is expected to halt its remaining Russian energy imports in the months ahead.
At the same time, the United Kingdom just added fresh sanctions against major Russian energy companies, including Rosneft and Lukoil, and targeted Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers used to dodge restrictions. Together, these measures are part of a broader international push to weaken the flow of oil money that fuels the Kremlin’s war machine.
It seems that the President’s current strategy is to continue putting pressure on Russia in hopes that they will come to the negotiation table with less demands.
