Trump is interested in increasing pressure on Russia

Journalist and political commentator Ben Marlowe points out that a few hours after Trump's inauguration, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping had a telephone conversation.

During it, they agreed to take cooperation between Russia and China to a "new level."

Interestingly, the Kremlin is trying to present this strange “coincidence” as a coincidence.

It's no secret that the new US president has already threatened Beijing with tariffs, calling it a "violator," and told the Kremlin that "big problems" await it if the war against Ukraine is not stopped.

Imposing sanctions against China is one thing, but economic pressure on Moscow, which continues its war near European borders, will be vivid evidence of the renewed power of the United States, Marlowe emphasized.

What is Putin's Achilles heel?

According to economist Timothy Ash, the aggressor country Russia should pay huge amounts of money for critical imports and offer discounts on its exports.

He also drew attention to the fact that inflation and the rise in Central Bank rates indicate the weakness of the Russian economy.

One cannot also ignore the fact that additional pressure is created by Moscow's dependence on revenues from the sale of oil and gas.

Moreover, Russia uses a shadowy tanker fleet to circumvent sanctions. According to economist Robin Brooks, these oil tankers are Putin's Achilles' heel, and new restrictions on this fleet imposed by the US and UK have dealt a significant blow to the Russian economy.

According to foreign economists, if Trump does tighten sanctions against Russia, he will definitely be able to crush Russia's economy and stop its war against Ukraine.