The act of sabotage has brought the Ukraine war closer, raising anxiety levels and threatening to undermine the Europeans’ resolve to help Ukraine fight on.
The U.S. imposed new sanctions on Russian officials and companies, and penalized foreign businesses aiding the Russian military. But officials are holding back on energy sanctions.
Declaring that Russia would annex four regions of Ukraine, which the West rejects as illegal, the Russian president accused the U.S. and its allies of “despotism’’ and “Satanism.’’