(DCNF)—Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Victor Davis Hanson said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin faces mounting pressure as Ukraine steps up its counteroffensive and key global players quietly distance themselves from Moscow.
Last month, President Donald Trump authorized the Treasury Department to impose sweeping sanctions on two of Russia’s largest oil companies after months of failed peace negotiations. Speaking on “The Bottom Line,” Hanson said the move has already intensified global pressure on Moscow.
“I think the pressure is already starting to mount. I think India and China are stealthily cutting back on their imports. They know what’s coming of the financial punishment that will ensue,” Hanson said.
Hanson added that Ukraine’s intensified drone strikes have quietly reshaped the battlefield, crippling roughly a quarter of Russia’s refined gasoline production.
“Ukraine has really expanded their drone attacks. And that’s kind of under the news. We haven’t heard about it. But they have cut about 25% of Russian available domestic gasoline, refined gasoline. And they’re upping their attacks,” Hanson said. “And Trump is greenlighting it. And he’s also holding out the specter that maybe they could go way into Russia with Tomahawk missiles, which would be kind of dangerous, but it would be very effective.”
Hanson said the shifting dynamics on the battlefield signal a turning point in the war.
“It would mark a clear escalation. I think everything’s starting to change now. Russia’s starting to run out of money, not men, but money. And that may make a change,” Hanson said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Trump at the White House in October to discuss the path toward ending the conflict with Russia. Zelenskyy told reporters his government was willing to explore a trade agreement with Washington, while Trump said that achieving peace was his priority over supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump held a phone call with Putin to discuss the situation on the ground. Earlier in the week, Trump said that he has “no plans” to meet Putin in person, despite earlier comments suggesting a potential summit in Budapest.
In a Fox News interview on Oct. 9, investor Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized China and India for sustaining Russia’s war effort by buying large amounts of Russian oil. He said he expects India to shift its energy imports toward the United States in the coming months, predicting a decline in Russian oil purchases.
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