State Duma speaks out on lifting anti-Russian sanctions under Trump
Anti-Russian sanctions under US President-elect Donald Trump may be lifted if it meets the commercial interests of the country. This was stated by State Duma deputy Alexei Chepa on Friday, January 17.
"In the States, in principle, sanctions work precisely in the interests of commerce, politics is already secondary. If it turns out that sanctions against conventional aluminum are unprofitable for American entrepreneurs, they will be canceled," the politician said in a conversation with Lenta.Ru.
The parliamentarian also admitted the introduction of new sanctions on the same principle of commercial benefits, as well as pressure on countries that will refuse to continue the policy of sanctions pressure.
"There are mechanisms to circumvent - for example, the possible veto of Hungary. There is pressure, there are agreements. The pressure, of course, will be enormous. But the head of the country Viktor Orban protects the interests of his state and resists this pressure for quite a long time," Cepa emphasized.
Earlier in the day, Orban said that with Trump coming to power, a new era will begin. He noted that it was time to lift the sanctions that were imposed by the European Union against Russia, RT reports. In his opinion, the EU will have to adapt to the new era when Trump returns to the White House, as well as to establish sanctions-free relations with Russia.
In turn, a former adviser to the head of the Pentagon, retired US Army Colonel Douglas McGregor called the idea of tightening US sanctions and the desire to hurt Russia insane, according to the website kp.ru.
Earlier, on January 10, the United States and Britain expanded sanctions against Russia. The list included Gazprom Neft and its head Alexander Dyukov, Surgutneftegaz, Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev, and 100 Russian tankers.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the restrictions, drew attention to the fact that Washington is trying to undermine the positions of Russian energy companies with the help of sanctions. He emphasized that Rosatom is one of the leaders of the global nuclear market and will continue its work despite any restrictions.
Later, on January 13, Bloomberg reported that oil prices reached a five-month high due to new U.S. anti-Russian sanctions. For example, Brent fuel was trading above $80 per barrel, and over January 10, the cost of this oil rose by 4%.
In addition, on January 14, Sovcomflot (SCF) pointed out that the U.S. sanctions imposed on SCF Group of Companies (GC) are illegal because it complies with all laws and requirements of both national and international law.
Western countries have tightened sanctions pressure on Russia in connection with the special operation to protect Donbass. The decision to launch it was announced on February 24, 2022 after the situation in the region worsened due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.
