Mike Rogers applauds new sanctions against Russia

October 22, 2025 – WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL03), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, issued a statement following an announcement by President Donald J. Trump (R) that he is increasing sanctions on Russia.

"Ukraine has long agreed to President Trump's proposal to begin negotiations at the current line of control following an immediate ceasefire," said Rogers and Wicker in their joint statement. "Regrettably, Vladimir Putin's delay tactics and empty promises make clear he remains unwilling to end the bloodshed. Only coordinated, sustained pressure will convince the Kremlin that its maximalist aims and bid to control Ukraine are too costly."

"We applaud President Trump and Secretary Bessent for today's announcement of new sanctions," the Chairmen continued. "The United States should work with our allies to intensify the pressure of those sanctions, including by ending all imports of Russian energy, using frozen Russian sovereign assets held in the United States and Europe for additional security assistance, and leveraging European funding to provide Tomahawk missiles alongside the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Germany should reinforce this effort by sending Taurus missiles too. "

"President Trump was right when he said this summer that to win, a nation must be able to go on offense," the two added. "Equipping Ukraine with additional long-range systems and authorizing their use against key military targets in Russia would strengthen Ukraine's position at the negotiating table and advance President Trump's vision of a lasting peace."

President Trump cancelled a planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We canceled the meeting with President Putin - it just didn't feel right to me," Trump told reporters at the White House. "It didn't feel like we were going to get to the place we have to get. So I canceled it, but we'll do it in the future."

Trump said that he was not satisfied with the results from previous meetings.

"In terms of honesty, the only thing I can say is, every time I speak with Vladimir, I have good conversations, and then they don't go anywhere. They just don't go anywhere."

On Wednesday the Treasury Department announced that it had imposed sanctions on:

• Rosneft and Lukoil - Russia's two largest oil companies

• Dozens of subsidiaries linked to both firms

These companies are considered central to funding the Kremlin's military operations. The sanctions are designed to choke off revenue and disrupt Russia's ability to sustain its war machine.

Dimitri Medvedev, the Deputy Chair of Russia's Security Council, said, "The decisions taken are an act of war against Russia."

"Trump has now fully embarked on the warpath against Russia," continued Medvedev. "This is his conflict now, not the senile Biden's!"

Mike Rogers represents Alabama's third congressional district. He is serving in his twelfth term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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