|

US Officials: Biden to sanction hundreds of Russian lawmakers as soon as Thursday – WSJ

“The Biden administration is preparing new sanctions on most members of Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of parliament, as the US continues its crackdown on Moscow over its ongoing war against Ukraine,” said Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The news cites unnamed US Officials to hint that the announcements could come as soon as Thursday.

Also portraying the Ukraine-Russia tussles were the latest comments from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who said, “Talks with Russia are difficult, at times confrontational.” Kyiv’s leader also adds, “100,000 people were living in the besieged city of Mariupol in inhuman conditions, without food, water or medicine.”

Furthermore, a leaders’ statement from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), shared by Nikkei, also highlight grim concerns. “The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has begun coordinating to express concern about cooperation between Russia and China in a joint statement to be finalized at the emergency summit on the 24th,” said the news.

Nikkei also mentioned, “If China supports Russia in military and economic terms, Russia's invasion of Ukraine will regain momentum, and the conflict with the United States and Europe may intensify.”

Market implications

Alike the previous versions, the latest Ukraine-Russia negatives have been less effective and couldn’t stop the S&P 500 Futures from printing mild gains above 4,500.

Read: Forex Today: Dollar gives up despite worrisome developments

Author

Anil Panchal

Anil Panchal

FXStreet

Anil Panchal has nearly 15 years of experience in tracking financial markets. With a keen interest in macroeconomics, Anil aptly tracks global news/updates and stays well-informed about the global financial moves and their implications.

More from Anil Panchal
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD edges above 1.1750 due to ECB-Fed policy divergence

EUR/USD has recovered its recent losses registered in the previous session, trading around 1.1760 during the Asian hours on Friday. Traders will likely observe Germany’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index data later in the day.

GBP/USD gathers strength above 1.3450 on Fed rate cut bets, BoE's gradual policy path

The GBP/USD pair gathers strength to around 1.3480 during the early Asian session on Friday. Expectations of the US Federal Reserve rate cuts this year weigh on the US Dollar against the Pound Sterling. Philadelphia Fed President Anna Paulson is set to speak later on the weekend. 

Gold climbs to near $4,350 on Fed rate cut bets, geopolitical risks

Gold price rises to near $4,345 during the early Asian session on Friday. Gold finished 2025 with a significant rally, achieving an annual gain of around 65%, its biggest annual gain since 1979. The rally of the precious metal is bolstered by the prospect of further US interest rate cuts in 2026 and safe-haven flows.

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple enter the New Year with breakout hopes

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple entered the new year trading at key technical levels on Friday, as traders seek fresh directional cues in January. With BTC locked in a tight range, ETH is approaching its 50-day Exponential Moving Average, while XRP is nearing resistance. A clear breakout across these top three cryptocurrencies could help define market momentum in the opening weeks of the year.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).