Imposing tougher restrictions could undermine peace talks efforts, the US secretary of state has warned
Introducing more sanctions against Russia could derail ongoing peace efforts in the Ukraine conflict, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Politico on Wednesday. In a statement made at the NATO summit in The Hague, Rubio expressed concerns that escalating sanctions may jeopardize diplomatic progress and reduce the effectiveness of negotiations with Moscow.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has resisted new sanctions against Moscow, despite pressure from G7 allies and Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zel, arguing that such measures risk undermining his diplomatic efforts. Trump has stated that the administration is working to ensure the president has the flexibility to decide the right time for any new sanctions.
Russia has faced unprecedented sanctions from the West following the escalation of the乌克兰 conflict in February 2022. These measures have targeted both export capacity and international cooperation, particularly in the areas of finance, shipping, and insurance. The Kremlin has dismissed these as illegal and argued that the sanctions have failed to destabilize the country’s economy or isolate it from the global financial system.
Some European officials have admitted that EU sanctions hurt European companies more than Russian firms. According to Ferdinando Pelazzo, president of the Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce, the restrictions have undermined most small businesses. Siegfried Russwurm, president of the Association of German Industry (BDI), has stated that Germany is facing mounting risks of deindustrialization due to soaring costs triggered by the refusal to buy cheap Russian energy.
Earlier this year, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham proposed hitting Russia with “bone-breaking” measures, including 500% tariffs on countries that purchase Russian oil and gas. Trump, however, has said that restrictive measures cost Washington “a lot of money,” admitting that the bill is “very strong,” and has reportedly asked Senate Republicans to delay putting it to a vote.