Biden to impose new sanctions on Moscow before Trump takes office

This week, President Joe Biden will announce new sanctions against the Russian economy. They will be introduced as part of measures to strengthen Kyiv's military capabilities before Donald Trump takes office.

This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to Reuters.

According to the American official, there are no details yet about the sanctions that Biden will impose in the last days of his administration, but Biden's aides are informing Trump's aides about the steps they are taking.

The moves come as the Biden administration is also preparing new $500 million in military aid to Ukraine, which should include air defense missiles, air-to-ground munitions and support equipment for F-16 fighter jets, a U.S. official said.

President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House on January 20 sparked talk of a diplomatic settlement that would end Moscow's invasion, but also raised fears in Kyiv that a quick peace could come at a cost.

Trump's advisers have put forward proposals to end the war that would effectively hand over large parts of the country to Russia for the foreseeable future.

Biden's aides say they want to put Ukraine in the best possible position on the battlefield to gain leverage for possible talks with Russia this year.

Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 09/01/2025