US Ukraine Envoy Says Possible to Strengthen Sanctions on Russia for Ceasefire

"Sanctions on Oil Production and Imports Can Be Strengthened"

Kiss Kellogg, the special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, stated that the United States is prepared to strengthen sanctions against Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg for Ukraine and Russia. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 6th (local time), Kellogg said in an interview with the daily New York Post that the current level of U.S. sanctions against Russia is only about "3 out of 10" in terms of the pain of economic pressure. He added, "In particular, recent sanctions targeting oil production and imports can actually be strengthened."

Previously, the outgoing Biden administration announced high-intensity sanctions on the Russian oil industry just before leaving office and sanctioned Russian energy companies Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, along with their subsidiaries. A total of 183 vessels transporting Russian crude oil were also targeted for sanctions.

Initially, it was unclear whether the U.S. would strengthen sanctions against Russia immediately after the start of the second Trump administration. However, the New York Post reported that there is still room for gradual increases in sanctions in the oil sector.

Regarding this, Kellogg said that on the 30th of last month, President Trump called national security advisors and cabinet members, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, to the White House Oval Office to discuss ways to end the war.

He said, "Resolving the war requires the entire administration to help, so a whole-of-government approach is necessary," adding, "The president, vice president, national security advisor, treasury secretary, and the National Security Council (NSC) are all discussing together."

He also pointed out that military pressure alone is not enough. He said, "Russia basically has attrition warfare in its DNA," and "They lost 700,000 people in six months during the Battle of Stalingrad but did not even blink."

The Battle of Stalingrad was a battle between Soviet and Nazi German forces around Stalingrad (now Volgograd) from July 1942 to February 1943 during World War II, resulting in an astronomical number of casualties.

Kellogg emphasized, "Military pressure alone is not enough (against Russia)," and "We must apply economic, diplomatic, and military pressure as levers to move things in the direction we want."

He explained, "If there is someone who understands leverage, it is President Trump, and you can see this in how he recently resolved other overseas issues."

He also expressed the view that without negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, ending the war is unlikely. Kellogg said, "In any negotiation, both sides must make concessions," adding, "If not, a balance must be found."