Media learned about Trump team's sanctions strategy for a settlement in Ukraine
Advisers to US President-elect Donald Trump are developing strategies to resolve the Ukrainian crisis related to anti-Russian sanctions. This was reported by the Bloomberg news agency on January 16.
Its sources said that the administration of the elected leader has two main ideas. The first is to take measures that will act in favor of Russian oil producers caught under US sanctions. This will be done in case Trump's team decides that a settlement will be reached soon. The second option involves the introduction of additional restrictions to increase the pressure. They will affect not only Russia, but also Iran and Venezuela.
The agency noted that for the world oil market it is very important which of these two approaches the president-elect will choose in the end. The price of Brent crude oil since the introduction of a new package of U.S. anti-Russian sanctions on January 10 rose by $5, and some analysts predict a further increase, which will lead to higher fuel prices around the world.
Bloomberg points out that all of these Trump team strategies are in the early stages. The discussions include some candidates for positions in the administration of the American leader-elect and former officials from the team that acted during his first presidential term. In addition, the opinion of several conservative think tanks is being taken into account.
Earlier, on January 10, the authorities in Washington and London expanded sanctions against Russia. The list included "Gazprom Neft" and its head Alexander Dyukov, "Surgutneftegaz", CEO of "Rosatom" Alexei Likhachev, as well as 100 Russian tankers. The next day, Jan. 11, a Republican politician close to the incoming Trump administration said those restrictions could be lifted as part of a peace deal on Ukraine.
Trump's national security adviser Michael Waltz indicated on January 12 that the U.S. leader-elect is of the opinion that it is impossible to resolve the conflict in Ukraine without negotiations with Russian Federation. Waltz added that the future US administration would like to achieve a ceasefire "any minute or day."
Trump himself, in turn, on January 10 emphasized the need to "end" the Ukrainian conflict. He added that he was preparing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin after his inauguration, scheduled for January 20.
Before that, on December 13, 2024, the team of the US president-elect said that it was negotiating with the current administration in the White House and Ukrainian officials on the settlement of the conflict. In addition, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg on the same day admitted that the crisis in Ukraine could end in the coming months.
The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which was announced by the Russian president on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region.
