US President Donald Trump has indicated he is open to fresh congressional sanctions against Russia, days after Hungary’s leader said he had been assured that his country could keep importing Russian crude.
Speaking to reporters at Palm Beach Airport on Sunday evening, Trump said,
“Any country that does business with Russia will be very severely sanctioned.”
He added that this was “OK” with him and suggested that Iran might also be added to upcoming measures, though he did not offer further details.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday that after meeting Trump he had received assurances that Budapest could continue buying Russian oil despite Washington’s sanctions on Moscow.
Yet in late October the US imposed new restrictions on Russia’s two biggest oil companies. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move was a response to President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to end what he called a “senseless war” against Ukraine. The sanctions aim to tighten pressure on Russia’s energy sector and restrict the Kremlin’s ability to fund its war effort.
Trump also remarked that Iran may be included in the developing sanctions package.
Trade Relations
Earlier this year, Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal proposed introducing 500% tariffs on Russia’s trading partners. Graham later claimed the idea had the support of the US president. Trump subsequently said a 500% rate was unnecessary and that 100% duties would be sufficient.
Russia remains one of Uzbekistan’s key trading partners. Over the first nine months of 2025 trade between the two countries exceeded $9.4 bn, compared with $8.6 bn during the same period last year.
Uzbekistan’s trade with the United States reached $719.1 mln from January to September this year, up from $681 mln a year earlier. Trade with Iran amounted to $393.3 mln over the same period, compared with $359.1 mln last year.
Kursiv Uzbekistan previously reported which Central Asian banks have fallen under EU sanctions.
