Vladimir Putin has overseen a string of nuclear missile tests – just as his country’s relations with the US collapsed in two major ways. Donald Trump slapped Moscow with new sanctions on Wednesday which specifically target two of Russia’s biggest oil firms, Rosneft and Lukoil.Just 24 hours prior, proposed talks between the two leaders fell apart.Announcing the measures, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said: “Given President Putin’s refusal to end this senseless war, the Treasury is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine. “The Treasury is prepared to take further action if necessary to support President Trump’s effort to end yet another war. “We encourage our allies to join us in and adhere to these sanctions.”In response, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK “strongly welcomes this important package of sanctions from the US”.She added: “Britain and our allies stand firm against Russian aggression.”The sanctions were announced mere hours after Mr Putin carried out nuclear missile tests and large-scale military drills.A submarine in the Barents Sea launched a Sineva intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), while a Yars rocket was test-fired from the Plesetsk launch facility in northwest Russia.Both are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.PICTURED: Vladimir Putin oversees the launch of the nuclear missile tests on Wednesday | REUTERSThe Kremlin added that strategic bomber forces, including TU-95 aircraft launching long-range cruise missiles, also took part.Despite the timing of the tests amid growing tensions between Russia and the West, Mr Putin insisted they had long been planned.While discussing the sanctions implemented against Moscow, Mr Trump told reporters at the White House: “I just thought it was time. “These are tremendous sanctions. These are very big, against their two big oil companies, and we hope that they won’t be on for long. We hope that the war will be settled.
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Donald Trump expressed his anger towards Moscow for not putting an end to the war in Ukraine | REUTERS”Many Russians were killed last week. Many Ukrainians were killed last week. We think it’s ridiculous.”Last week, the President had a phone call with the Russian leader, and the two were meant to meet in person in Hungary “within in two weeks”.However, talks organising this meeting turned sour on Monday. It is believed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, could not agree over territorial concessions.Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin had been set to meet in Hungary but plans for the meeting fell apart | GETTYSince then, Mr Trump said: “Every time I speak with Vladimir, I have very good conversations, and then they don’t go anywhere.”They just don’t go anywhere. It’s time to make a deal. A lot of people are dying.”On Wednesday, the EU said member states had also approved a 19th package of sanctions against Russia, including a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports.