FT reported on EU fears of a firm US stance on anti-Russian sanctions

The sanctions imposed by Europe against Russia may soon stop working. This may be influenced by the negotiations between the Russian and US delegations on ending the conflict in Ukraine. This was reported by the Financial Times (FT) on February 20.

According to the piece, the G7 group of Western powers has been coordinating its sanctions against Russia since the conflict with Ukraine began, targeting banks, the oil and metals industries and cutting off most imports to Russia.

The U.S. president's talks with Russia on ending the conflict as soon as possible could change that. Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during talks in the Saudi capital Riyadh to "lay the groundwork for future cooperation on economic and investment opportunities." In response to the meeting between Moscow and Washington, the European Union (EU) agreed on its 16th package of sanctions.

"We must continue to make our way on Ukraine, regardless of what any other ally decides to do," an EU diplomat said.

However, foreign journalists are wondering whether they will take effect if the US begins to ease its own restrictions.

The FT writes that if the US were to lift its measures, Russia would likely be able to take advantage of the gaping hole in the global financial wall previously erected around them to return to business as usual in many areas.

Not gas alone: EU postpresidents agree on 16th package of sanctions against Russia

It included a ban on aluminum imports and restrictions against the "shadow" fleet, according to media reports

Earlier, on February 16, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that U.S. sanctions against Russia's leadership may not have a significant impact on the negotiations between Moscow and Washington, as such measures can be quickly lifted if desired.

The foreign ministries of the G7 countries adopted a communiqué on the topic of imposing new sanctions against Russia on February 15. Restrictions were linked to the negotiations on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. The foreign ministers said in the document that Russia should allegedly guarantee Ukraine 's long-term security.

On 12 February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov drew attention to the fact that European countries were preparing new sanctions amid the difficult situation in their own economies.