Trump will reject tougher Russia sanctions for Europe, Rubio explains reason
Photo: Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State (Getty Images)
President of the United States Donald Trump will reject Europe's request to strengthen sanctions against Russia, as Washington wants to maintain the opportunity to negotiate a peace agreement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says in an interview with Politico.
According to Politico, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders are hoping to persuade Trump, today, June 25, during the NATO summit, to toughen sanctions against Russia after President Vladimir Putin repeatedly rejected American attempts to mediate a ceasefire.
"If we did what everybody here wants us to do, and that is come in and crush them with more sanctions, we probably lose our ability to talk to them about the ceasefire, and then who's talking to them?" Rubio said.
According to the Secretary of State, Trump supposedly will "know the right time and place" for new sanctions, and for now, the US administration is working with Congress to ensure the President has the necessary flexibility.
"If he does it, you're almost admitting that this is not going to be negotiated anytime soon... We're going to continue to engage. In the sense that if there's an opportunity for us to make a difference and get them to the table, we're going to take it," Rubio explained.
At the same time, the Secretary of State noted that the US does not believe Russia can achieve its territorial objectives on the battlefield.
Sanctions against Russia
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Western countries imposed large-scale sanctions against Moscow. These included freezing the Russian Central Bank's assets, disconnecting a number of banks from SWIFT, banning the export of high-tech products, including microchips, as well as imposing personal restrictions.
Imports of Russian energy resources, particularly oil and gas, were significantly reduced or completely halted.
In early April, Senator Lindsey Graham introduced a bill to impose harsh sanctions against Russia for refusing to commit to a lasting peace with Ukraine.
However, in early June, media outlets reported that the Trump administration was not satisfied with Graham's bill.
