US dissolves pressure group on Russia: Ukrainian Presidential Office reacts
Mykhailo Podolyak, an Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (Photo: RBC-Ukraine, Vitalii Nosach)
The United States, under the leadership of Donald Trump, is gradually moving away from global leadership and abandoning its anti-Russian strategy, according to Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
Podoliak stated that the recent decision by the Trump administration to liquidate the group under the U.S. National Security Council, which was involved in developing sanctions, is part of a larger-scale policy revision.
"This commission was created, let's say, around March, well, that is, at the beginning of spring, and closed literally today, well, that is, it worked there for three months, a little less. However, they initiated a major purge, as I understand it, within the National Security Council. In general, many people left their positions and within this they also cut this mission," said Podoliak.
He emphasized that this does not mean a complete folding of sanctions pressure — the instruments remain. There is the Graham–Blumenthal bill, there are initiatives from Great Britain and France. Therefore, they can be calmly accepted and used against the Russian Federation.
"The question is in Trump's own will, and the question of understanding what reputational losses he is bearing today. Well, that is, more and more countries understand that the United States, from the concept of 'make America great again,' is moving to the concept of 'make America isolated and not influence global processes.' Well, such is the strategy. But this strategy definitely will not be accepted with enthusiasm in the United States itself," Podoliak noted.
He believes that isolationism will not be perceived positively by Americans, since the US has invested for decades in dominance on the international stage.
"They have been investing for centuries to dominate. And now to give everything away in half a year to China, to some miserable Russia? Well, that’s strange," added the adviser.
Folding of the group
According to media reports, the administration of Donald Trump in recent weeks has in fact ceased the work of the interagency group that was supposed to form a strategy for increased pressure on Russia.
The reason was Trump’s growing doubts about the advisability of a confrontational course towards Moscow.
