If the U.S. and EU align on tariffs, Russia's economy enters collapse
Na noite em que a Rússia lançou o maior ataque aéreo desde o início da guerra — 810 drones e 13 mísseis sobre território ucraniano —, Donald Trump respondeu com uma palavra: sim, estaria pronto para novas sanções. O momento revela uma lógica antiga: quando a força militar encontra os seus limites, o poder económico é convocado como instrumento de coerção. Washington e Bruxelas parecem aproximar-se de uma estratégia coordenada que visa não os exércitos, mas as receitas que os sustentam.
- A Rússia lançou 810 drones e 13 mísseis numa única noite, o maior bombardeamento aéreo desde o início da invasão, matando pelo menos cinco pessoas e danificando pela primeira vez o edifício do governo ucraniano em Kyiv.
- Os ataques espalharam-se por múltiplas cidades — Odessa, Zaporizhzhia, Kremenchuk, Kryvyi Rih e Dnipropetrovsk —, numa dispersão geográfica que sugere uma tentativa deliberada de sobrecarregar as defesas ucranianas em várias frentes ao mesmo tempo.
- Trump confirmou imediatamente a disposição para novas sanções, e o secretário do Tesouro Scott Bessent foi mais longe: uma ação coordenada entre os EUA e a UE sobre as importações de petróleo russo poderia colapsar a economia de Moscovo.
- Washington já começou a executar a ameaça de tarifas contra países que compram energia russa — a Índia foi o primeiro alvo —, transformando aliados comerciais de Moscovo em potenciais vítimas colaterais da pressão ocidental.
- O cálculo político é claro: se a pressão económica coletiva do Ocidente conseguir estrangular as receitas que financiam a guerra, Putin poderá ser forçado a negociar onde a ajuda militar não foi suficiente.
Na Casa Branca, quando um jornalista perguntou a Trump se estava preparado para novas sanções contra a Rússia, a resposta foi imediata: sim. A afirmação ganhou peso pelo momento em que foi proferida. Horas antes, a Rússia tinha desencadeado o maior ataque aéreo desde o início da guerra — 810 drones e 13 mísseis disparados sobre território ucraniano numa única noite. As defesas aéreas ucranianas intercetaram 747 drones e quatro mísseis, mas o ataque matou pelo menos cinco pessoas e, pela primeira vez desde a invasão, danificou o edifício que alberga o governo ucraniano em Kyiv.
Os ataques não se limitaram à capital. Odessa, Zaporizhzhia, Kremenchuk, Kryvyi Rih e Dnipropetrovsk foram também visadas — uma dispersão geográfica que sugere um esforço deliberado para sobrecarregar as defesas ucranianas em múltiplas frentes em simultâneo.
A resposta americana foi rápida. Scott Bessent, secretário do Tesouro, declarou que Washington estava pronto para intensificar a pressão sobre Moscovo e apelou aos aliados europeus para fazerem o mesmo. A estratégia vai além das sanções tradicionais: Trump já ameaçou impor tarifas a qualquer nação que compre petróleo e gás russos, e começou a concretizar essa ameaça — a Índia já foi alvo de pesadas taxas alfandegárias por continuar a adquirir hidrocarbonetos russos.
Zelensky assinalou que Trump estava profundamente insatisfeito com as compras europeias de petróleo russo. Bessent foi direto: se os EUA e a UE acordassem novas tarifas sobre as importações de energia russa, a economia da Rússia entraria em colapso — e o colapso, sugeriu, forçaria Putin à mesa das negociações. A mensagem de Washington era inequívoca: uma nova fase de pressão estava a caminho, visando não apenas a capacidade militar russa, mas os alicerces financeiros que a sustentam.
At the White House, when a reporter asked whether President Trump was prepared to impose a new round of sanctions against Russia, his answer was immediate and unadorned: yes. The timing of that affirmation carried weight. Hours earlier, Russia had unleashed what its military called a massive coordinated strike—810 unmanned drones and 13 missiles fired across Ukrainian territory in a single night. Ukrainian air defenses managed to intercept 747 of those drones and four of the missiles, according to the country's air force. It was the largest aerial bombardment since the war began.
The attack killed at least five people and, for the first time since the invasion started, damaged the building housing Ukraine's government headquarters in Kyiv. The strikes were not confined to the capital. Russian forces also targeted Odessa in the south, Zaporizhzhia and Zaporijia further south, Kremenchuk in the center, and Kryvyi Rih and Dnipropetrovsk in the east—a geographic spread suggesting a deliberate effort to strain Ukrainian defenses across multiple fronts simultaneously.
The American response came swiftly. Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, declared that Washington stood ready to intensify pressure on Moscow and called on European allies to do the same. But the strategy being articulated went beyond traditional sanctions. Trump has already threatened to impose tariffs on any nation purchasing Russian oil and gas, a threat he has begun to execute—India has already faced steep customs duties for continuing to buy Russian hydrocarbons. The logic is straightforward: strangle the revenue streams that fund Russia's war effort.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted on Thursday that Trump was deeply dissatisfied with European Union purchases of Russian petroleum. That frustration, if channeled into coordinated action between Washington and Brussels, could reshape the economic landscape of the conflict. Bessent laid out the calculation plainly: if the United States and the European Union agreed on new tariffs targeting countries that import Russian oil, Russia's economy would face collapse. And collapse, he suggested, would force Putin to the negotiating table.
The statement carried the weight of a policy position, not mere speculation. The administration was signaling that economic leverage—wielded collectively by the West's largest trading blocs—might accomplish what military aid alone could not. Whether Europe would align with such a strategy remained unclear. But the message from Washington was unambiguous: a new phase of pressure was coming, and it would target not just Russia's military capacity but the financial sinews that sustain it.
Citas Notables
Yes, I am ready to impose new sanctions against Russia— President Trump, when asked at the White House
If the United States and the EU agree on tariffs for countries buying Russian oil, Russia's economy will collapse and Putin will come to the negotiating table— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does Trump's one-word answer matter so much here? He could have said that weeks ago.
Because it came the same night Russia threw everything it had at Ukraine. The timing suggests this isn't abstract policy talk—it's a direct response to escalation. He's saying: you hit harder, we hit your wallet harder.
And the drone numbers—810 is a lot. Does Ukraine's air defense actually work, or are those interception numbers propaganda?
They intercepted 747 out of 810. That's roughly 92 percent. Even if you discount for optimism, that's a functional system. But the fact that 63 drones got through, and they hit the government building for the first time, shows the system has limits. Russia is testing those limits.
Bessent's talking about economic collapse. Is that realistic, or is he overselling?
It depends entirely on whether Europe actually cooperates. If the U.S. and EU move together on energy tariffs, yes, Russia's revenue gets squeezed hard. But Europe has been reluctant to cut off Russian gas completely. Bessent is essentially saying: do this, and Putin negotiates. That's a big if.
Why does Trump care about India buying Russian oil? That seems distant from Ukraine.
Because India is one of Russia's largest customers now. If you can threaten tariffs on major buyers, you create leverage. It's saying to the world: buy Russian energy, and you pay a price in American markets. It's economic coercion on a global scale.
So this is really about forcing Putin to the table through economic pain, not military defeat?
That's what the administration is signaling. Military aid helps Ukraine defend itself, but sanctions and tariffs are meant to make the war unsustainable for Russia. The theory is that economic pressure works faster than attrition.