GuShiio.com ① As U.S. President Trump seeks to restore U.S. -Russia relations and end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the United States may relax sanctions on Russia;
② According to media reports citing sources, the United States is formulating a plan that may ease sanctions against Russia;
③ The Trump administration hopes to ease sanctions to pave the way for a potential deal with Russia.
Cailian News, March 4 (Editor Bian Chun)As U.S. President Trump seeks to restore U.S. -Russian relations and end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the United States may relax sanctions on Russia. According to media reports citing sources,The United States is developing a plan that may ease sanctions against Russia。
Sources saidThe White House has asked the State Department and Treasury Departments to draw up a list of possible sanctions easing for discussions with Russian representatives in the coming days.。This is part of extensive talks between the United States and Russia on improving diplomatic and economic relations.
Sources saidThe U.S. Sanctions Office is currently drafting a proposal to lift sanctions on specific entities and individuals, including some Russian oligarchs.。
The White House’s request highlights thatThe Trump administration hopes to ease sanctions to pave the way for a potential deal with Russia。
It is unclear exactly what the United States is seeking from Russia in exchange for easing sanctions, nor is it clear which sanctions the Trump team will consider lifting first.
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, U.S. sanctions against Russia have included limiting revenue from the country’s huge oil and gas industry and undermining its ability to fund the war.
Russia is one of the world’s largest oil producers, and if the United States relaxes sanctions on its energy system, it could help prevent higher fuel prices as Trump cracks oil exports from OPEC member Iran.
John Smith, former head of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, said Trump could issue an executive order allowing the government to begin relaxing some sanctions on Russia, but congressional approval would still be needed to lift sanctions on certain entities.
The Kremlin said last year that relations between Russia and the United States were “below freezing point” during the administration of former U.S. President Biden. Biden provided aid and weapons to Ukraine and imposed severe sanctions on Russia.
However, after coming to power, Trump, who promised to quickly end the Russia-Ukraine war, quickly changed U.S. policy and started negotiations with Russia. First, he had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 12, and then U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
In January, Trump threatened to increase sanctions on Russia if Putin was unwilling to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. But recently, Trump administration officials have publicly acknowledged the possibility of easing sanctions on Russia.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with media last month that Russia may receive sanctions relief, depending on how the country conducts negotiations in the coming weeks. Trump also told reporters late last month that sanctions on Russia might be relaxed “at some point.”
Since 2022, Russia has been building a wartime economy by increasing military spending and industrial production. But experts say the country’s economy is fragile and the West urgently needs to relax sanctions.
Russia is also open to economic cooperation with the United States. The Kremlin said last week that Russia has large deposits of rare earth metals and is open to reaching a development agreement with the United States. Any formal economic agreement reached by Russia and the United States may require the United States to relax sanctions against Russia.
