MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia's lower house of parliament on Wednesday approved a move to withdraw from a landmark agreement with the United States aimed at reducing vast stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium left over from thousands of Cold War nuclear warheads.

Starmer says ‘Ukraine’s future is our future’ and missile plan is ‘accelerating’ - Sir Keir Starmer said allies had agreed a ‘clear plan for the rest of the year’ on supporting Ukraine

The EU’s extensive measures follow the U.S. Treasury Department unveiling sanctions on Wednesday targeting Moscow’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, starting Nov. 21. The monthlong deadline means that Russia still has time to strike a deal and avoid the economic repercussions.

It is increasingly difficult for Putin to finance his war. Every Euro we deny Russia is one it cannot spend on war."

For the first time in his second term, President Trump is imposing new sanctions, but they may not shift the course of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The United States and its allies have sanctioned Russia’s largest oil companies in an effort to choke off funding for the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine, though experts doubt the measures will have immediate impact.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev was in the United States for meetings with Trump administration officials including special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to media reports on Friday.

The European Union has heaped more economic sanctions on Russia, adding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s new punitive measures the previous day against the Russian oil industry