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The White House has asked the US State Department and Treasury Department to draft a list of sanctions that could be eased or lifted, including some imposed on Russian entities and individuals.
US sources said the Trump administration is considering easing some sanctions on Russia as Washington conducts diplomatic activities aimed at improving relations with Moscow and creating a foundation to promote negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine.
The White House has asked the State and Treasury departments to draft a list of sanctions that could be eased or lifted, including some imposed on Russian entities and individuals, according to a US official and a source familiar with the matter.
The list is then expected to be discussed between officials from the two countries in the coming time as part of bilateral talks aimed at improving diplomatic relations and economic cooperation.
However, it is not yet clear what conditions the US will demand in exchange for easing sanctions on Russia. Observers are currently considering one factor: Russia is one of the world's largest oil producers.
Easing sanctions on Russia's energy sector could help control fuel prices, especially if the US tightens sanctions on Iran - a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The White House, the State Department and the US Treasury Department have yet to make official comments on the above information.
Last year, the Kremlin said that Russia's relations with the US administration under President Joe Biden were at an all-time low.
Under President Biden, the US has imposed a series of tough sanctions to limit revenue from Russia's oil and gas industry, including a measure to cap the price of Moscow's oil exports at $60 per barrel.
Before leaving office, Mr. Biden also announced a series of sanctions considered the strongest ever aimed at Russian energy companies and oil tankers.
However, after taking office, President Trump took steps to promote negotiations with Moscow.
On February 12, Mr. Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, followed by meetings between senior officials of the two countries in Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
Previously, Mr. Trump had warned that he would tighten sanctions on Russia if President Putin was not willing to participate in negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine. However, recently US officials have considered the possibility of easing sanctions.
In an interview with Bloomberg Television on February 20, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the possibility of easing sanctions would depend on how Russia approaches future negotiations. On February 26, President Trump confirmed that he would consider easing sanctions “at some point.”
Meanwhile, Russia has also left open the possibility of economic cooperation with the US. The Kremlin said last week that Russia owns many rare earth metal deposits and is ready to make deals to exploit the minerals used in modern industry.
In connection with the current diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine, Russia has once again voiced its opposition to the establishment of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
According to Russia's TASS news agency on March 4, expressing his views on Telegram, Russia's Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna (Austria), Mr. Mikhail Ulyanov, firmly opposed the deployment of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.
Mr. Ulyanov said that the idea of deploying European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine should be considered carefully, because according to him, peacekeeping forces must ensure neutrality, while the European Union (EU) has its own views on this issue. In addition, he emphasized that Russia does not support this idea.
Previously, some European countries had proposed the idea of establishing a peacekeeping force in Ukraine to ensure stability and lasting peace after reaching an agreement to end the conflict.
However, Russia has repeatedly stated its opposition to any Western military presence in Ukraine, saying it could escalate tensions in the region.
Meanwhile, RIA Novosti reported that the Kremlin on March 4 assessed that Russia and the US would find it difficult to start negotiations on Ukraine until the two countries' diplomatic missions resumed full operations.
Asked whether the two sides could hold talks on Ukraine before diplomatic missions between the two countries resumed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “'That is unlikely.'
Previously, a meeting between Russia and the US regarding the issue of embassies in Moscow and Washington was held on February 27 in Istanbul (Türkiye).
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the two sides discussed the issue of Russian diplomatic property in the US, including the return of six properties “illegally seized in 2016-2018” to Russia.
TB (according to VNA)