The United States has imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, aiming to pressure Moscow into ending its war in Ukraine. President Donald Trump described these measures as 'massive' and expressed hope they will be short-lived, hoping for an end to the conflict. Russia responded by denouncing the sanctions as 'counterproductive' and claimed it is 'immunized' against Western restrictions, emphasizing its economic resilience, especially in energy sectors. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelensky welcomed the sanctions as a strong message that aggression will be met with consequences, and he visited Brussels to seek ongoing EU support, including a proposal to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine's defense efforts. The EU announced plans to tighten sanctions further, targeting Russian hydrocarbons and shipping, including a ban on Russian LNG imports. The conflict has also seen tragic losses, with Ukrainian journalists killed by Russian drones, and Russia returning 1,000 bodies of soldiers, mostly Ukrainian, in exchanges mediated by the Red Cross. Tensions escalated with Russian accusations of sabotage at a Russian refinery by Ukrainian drones, and Russia's continued military strikes, including attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and a recent explosion at a Russian military factory in the Ural region. China expressed opposition to Western sanctions, criticizing them as illegal and unapproved by the UN Security Council, while the US and Europe maintain that sanctions are necessary to pressure Russia. The war has resulted in significant casualties, with estimates of over 135,000 Russian soldiers killed, and ongoing military and diplomatic efforts to seek peace and stability.