U.S. President Donald Trump was offered three options for sanctions against Russia, from which he chose the middle option in terms of severity, according to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). They said the harshest option targeted Russian industry and the country’s top leadership, the middle option targeted Russia’s energy sector, and the mildest involved “limited measures.” In the end, Trump imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies — Rosneft and Lukoil — as well as their subsidiaries.

Trump’s decision was influenced by Russian strikes on Ukraine, which repeatedly followed his “good” phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, WSJ reports. According to sources, Trump’s patience ran out when he concluded that Putin was “simply stringing him along” and stalling. CNN notes that discussions about possible sanctions had been ongoing in the administration for months, but Trump himself had doubts until the last moment about whether to implement them. The president feared that such measures could negatively affect potential negotiations with Putin. However, after canceling a meeting with the Russian president in Budapest, Trump reportedly told his advisers that his “instincts” were telling him it was time to move in a different direction in relations with Moscow.

Commenting on the new sanctions, Putin said they would have “certain consequences” for Russia but would not significantly affect the country’s economic well-being. According to him, this “unfriendly” step “does not strengthen Russian-American relations” and is intended to exert political pressure. “No self-respecting country and no self-respecting people ever decide anything under pressure,” Putin emphasized.

Afterward, Trump noted that the effects of the sanctions he imposed would be visible in six months. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the restrictions are “quite serious.” Washington expects that they will put pressure on Russia and cause economic damage to the country, Leavitt concluded.