‘What about the EU, Japan, Hungary, Germany?’: Kanwal Sibal on Trump’s threat to nations trading with Russia
Trump said that countries continuing economic relations with Russia will face "very severe" penalties under new legislation being drafted by Republican lawmakers.
- Nov 18, 2025,
- Updated Nov 18, 2025 12:49 PM IST
US President Donald Trump’s “loose talk” and intimidation by the US Congress is damaging the US’ standing in the world, said former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal. This comes after Trump said the US plans to impose heavy penalties on countries that continue to trade with Russia.
“What about the EU or Japan? Hungary and Germany have been given exemptions? What about China with whom Trump has made a deal when China struck back? How about the US itself which is doing business with Russia? This kind of loose talk by Trump and intimidation by the US Congress is damaging the US standing in the world. Resistance by others is inevitable,” he said.
Trump said that countries continuing economic relations with Russia will face "very severe" penalties under new legislation being drafted by Republican lawmakers. This follows recent economic actions against India, as the Trump administration doubled tariffs on Indian imports to 50% in response to India’s ongoing purchase of Russian oil.
The US Treasury cited "Russia’s lack of serious commitment to a peace process" as justification for the expanded tariffs and secondary sanctions. Speaking from Palm Beach International Airport, Trump underlined his support for the new legislation. He stated: "As you know, I suggested it, so any country that does business with Russia will be very severely sanctioned." Trump further noted that Iran could be included in the list of targeted nations.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the likelihood of Russia yielding to external pressure. Last month, he commented: "No self-respecting country and no self-respecting people ever decides anything under pressure." Putin has warned that such sanctions could drive up global oil prices, potentially causing economic consequences for the United States and other sanctioning nations.
US President Donald Trump’s “loose talk” and intimidation by the US Congress is damaging the US’ standing in the world, said former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal. This comes after Trump said the US plans to impose heavy penalties on countries that continue to trade with Russia.
“What about the EU or Japan? Hungary and Germany have been given exemptions? What about China with whom Trump has made a deal when China struck back? How about the US itself which is doing business with Russia? This kind of loose talk by Trump and intimidation by the US Congress is damaging the US standing in the world. Resistance by others is inevitable,” he said.
Trump said that countries continuing economic relations with Russia will face "very severe" penalties under new legislation being drafted by Republican lawmakers. This follows recent economic actions against India, as the Trump administration doubled tariffs on Indian imports to 50% in response to India’s ongoing purchase of Russian oil.
The US Treasury cited "Russia’s lack of serious commitment to a peace process" as justification for the expanded tariffs and secondary sanctions. Speaking from Palm Beach International Airport, Trump underlined his support for the new legislation. He stated: "As you know, I suggested it, so any country that does business with Russia will be very severely sanctioned." Trump further noted that Iran could be included in the list of targeted nations.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the likelihood of Russia yielding to external pressure. Last month, he commented: "No self-respecting country and no self-respecting people ever decides anything under pressure." Putin has warned that such sanctions could drive up global oil prices, potentially causing economic consequences for the United States and other sanctioning nations.