U.S. may increase pressure on Russia’s energy sector to hurt war effort — expert Fried

He said this in an interview with the Espreso TV channel.

“The next move may come as the Biden administration prepares and announces its final set of sanctions against Russia. It has been preparing these for some time. There was an article in the Washington Post, I believe, that outlined what some of them may be. The United States is likely to put more pressure on Russia in the energy area, which it should. This is the correct move. And additional pressure on the Russian economy will hurt the Russian war effort,” Fried said.

According to him, signs of economic tension in Russia are already evident. This will not save Ukraine by itself, but it will create additional difficulties for Russia. So, this is the next step. And then there will be an important visit of Kellogg to Ukraine.

“The Ukrainian government and President Zelensky had shown both skill and wisdom in dealing with the incoming Trump administration. They are not saying no. They are saying yes and trying to influence American thinking. The Russians are saying no,” he added.

The next date is January 20th, when President Trump reassumes office for the beginning of his second and final term.

“There has been speculation in the Polish media that President Trump will visit Warsaw later in the spring. And obviously for the Poles, Ukraine security is their number one security issue. So this will also be an important date. In any event, much will depend on Putin's response. Right now, he is pushing everything he can to put pressure on Ukraine. He is attacking Ukraine, including on Christmas Day, which, by the way, General Kellogg condemned publicly. And the Russians are trying to show that their victory is inevitable,” the diplomat said.

Although Russia is making some advances on the front, significant losses accompany them. This raises doubts about the ability of the Russian army to sustain this level of effort. Ukraine should be able to fight even more effectively: 

“The Ukrainian soldiers need to have complete confidence in their officers. And the United States needs to provide more weapons and remove restrictions. The only restrictions on Ukraine's use of weapons should be the laws of war.

In any event, it is hard to talk about a diplomatic calendar because none exists. The final date I'll mention is the possible date for a potential meeting between Trump and Putin, but this is not a certainty,” Fried concluded.

• On December 22, it was reported that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he would wait to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to resolve the war in Ukraine.
• On December 22, Trump had called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider holding peace talks with Russia and giving up the occupied territories.
• Trump's future special representative Kellogg believes that Ukraine and Russia are ready for peace talks.