Fossil fuel revenues form the backbone of Russia's economy, which has been buffeted by sanctions following Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not ready for compromises” to end his brutal war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told The Post in an exclusive interview on Wednesday — but President Trump has the power to bring him to his knees by speeding up tough sanctions that could cause a “social explosion” in Russia.

The European Union failed for a second day to approve a new package of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday as Slovakia continued to seek concessions over gas supplies, four EU diplomats told Reuters.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, during a meeting with senators in the US Congress in Washington, delivered a stark warning. He stated that countries such as Brazil, China, and India could be “hit very hard by secondary sanctions” if they continue business with Russia.

Donald Trump’s remarks on Ukraine on Monday were far from the biggest announcement the US president could have made.

India is confident of meeting its oil needs from alternative sources if Russian supplies are hit by secondary sanctions, oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday.

The NATO chief had warned India, China and Brazil that they could be hit hard by secondary sanctions if they continue to do business with Russia.

Officials say Russian weapons pounded Ukrainian cities overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, injuring at least 15 people in an attack that mostly targeted energy infrastructure.

U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to choke off Russia’s oil revenue via secondary sanctions would deal a hammer blow to Moscow's finances, but markets are betting that the risk of higher energy prices will keep Washington from following through.