Trump announces sanctions on Russian oil in push for ceasefire

(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House on Wednesday as the U.S. Treasury Department levied sanctions against Russian oil companies.

Trump announced those sanctions on Truth Social on Wednesday, demanding that Russia agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine.

"They are tremendous sanctions, very big against two big oil companies. Don't think they will be on for long," Trump said.

"NATO wants to help deliver on your vision of peace," Rutte said.

Asked about a potential meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said, "It just didn't feel right to me."

"It didn't feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get, so I canceled it, but we'll do it in the future," he said.

Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week as he pushes for a ceasefire in the region.

Rutte and Trump are said to have a good relationship, and Rutte is known to be a persuasive voice in Trump's ear on matters concerning Ukraine and Russia's ongoing war. The president has repeatedly called for an end to the war, and Rutte has called for a ceasefire and for the war to end where it currently stands.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has traveled to Norway and Sweden to secure the jets Ukraine needs for its war effort. He has been trying to secure Tomahawk missiles from the U.S., but Trump has appeared to shoot down his request.