U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington has nearly reached the limit of imposing new sanctions on Russia, emphasizing that restrictions have already been placed on the country’s largest oil companies. He noted that the next steps will likely focus on enforcing existing sanctions rather than introducing additional ones, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to Rubio’s comments to journalists following the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Canada.
Responding to a question about the possibility of tightening sanctions pressure on Moscow, Rubio remarked that “there is virtually nothing left that we can still sanction.” He explained that the United States has already targeted Russia’s major oil corporations, which was the key demand from many international partners.
The Secretary of State also drew attention to the issue of the so-called “shadow fleet” — a network of vessels Russia uses to bypass oil restrictions. Rubio described the efforts to counter this system as a mechanism to ensure compliance with existing sanctions rather than grounds for new ones. He further suggested that European partners should play a more proactive role in this process, given that a significant portion of these ships operate near European waters.
When asked whether Russia truly seeks peace, Rubio said that such intentions can only be judged by actions. In his view, Moscow has made its objectives clear — it wants to capture the remaining parts of the Donetsk region — and such demands are unacceptable for Ukraine.
Rubio also commented on Russia’s ongoing missile strikes against Ukrainian territory, which, according to him, are intended to destroy the country’s power grid and demoralize its citizens.
Regarding U.S. support for Ukraine, the Secretary of State confirmed that Washington maintains regular discussions with Kyiv on stabilizing the nation’s energy infrastructure. He noted that Ukraine’s energy network continues to deteriorate year after year.
Rubio added that the U.S. is considering the delivery of both specialized equipment and defensive weaponry to protect critical energy facilities. However, he admitted that a major challenge remains — the high risk that this equipment will be destroyed shortly after being installed. “If the equipment is wiped out a week after installation, that remains a problem — and it has been so for the past two or three years,” Rubio concluded.
Earlier we wrote that U.S. House to Vote on Senate-Approved Bill to Reopen Government Amid Shutdown Impacts.
