The US and other Western countries have imposed unprecedented economic restrictions on Russia since the Ukrainian conflict escalated in 2022. Moscow is illegal to sanction and has consistently requested removal.
“No, we haven’t lifted sanctions on anyone… I think it’s at some point, but for now I don’t agree to lift sanctions on anyone,” Trump said in a reporting briefing, responding to questions about whether the issue is part of the Russian-US debate, RT reported.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently suggested that Western countries must consider lifting sanctions in Russia to find a “lasting and sustainable” solution to the Ukrainian conflict. Last week, after high levels of talks between Moscow and Washington in Saudi Arabia, he showed that to end the conflict, it involves letting go of the sanctions policy, saying “all sides have to be done.” However, Rubio also pointed out that the EU would need to be “at the table” to discuss sanctions relief as well, as it also imposes restrictive measures targeting Russia.
Moscow often points out that sanctions have failed to destabilize or isolate it while it backfired the countries that imposed it. Russian President Vladimir Putin last week said Western sanctions had inadvertently strengthened Russia’s development. Speaking at Moscow’s Future Technologies Forum, he said that despite the challenges Russia was forced to overcome for the measures, it would play a “stimulating role” and encourage close cooperation between Russian domestic companies and science, and strengthen the country’s economic and technical sector.
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