US President Donald Trump has slapped "tremendous" new sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies in a bid to pressure his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, into ending the war in Ukraine.

The US sanctions target Rosneft and Lukoil, Russia's two largest oil companies that help fund the Kremlin's "war machine", according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

"Given President Putin's refusal to end this senseless war, Treasury is sanctioning Russia's two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin's war machine," Bessent said in a statement.

US sanctions came a week after Britain sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil. Separately, EU countries approved a 19th package of sanctions against Russia for the war that includes a ban on imports of Russian LNG.

The US has also called on Japan, also a major buyer of Russian LNG, to halt its energy imports from Russia. 

The US said it was prepared to take further action against Russia as it called on Moscow to agree immediately to a ceasefire in its war in Ukraine. US President Donald Trump has so far refrained from imposing sanctions on Russia over the war, relying instead on trade measures.

Source:Ndtv