Trump Orders Plans Drawn Up For Russia Sanctions Relief

The Trump administration is drawing up plans to drop some sanctions on Russia and Kremlin officials, Reuters reports Monday, offering some fresh details on what this easing of restrictions might look like.

The White House has over at least the past week teased this possibility to the media, as it engaged in two sessions of bilateral dialogue with Russian representatives in Riyadh and Istanbul, but this is the first known time specific plans have been ordered to be drawn up.

“The White House has asked the State and Treasury departments to draft a list of sanctions that could be eased for US officials to discuss with Russian representatives in the coming days as part of the administration’s broad talks with Moscow on improving diplomatic and economic relations, the sources said,” according to the report.

“The sanctions offices are now drawing up a proposal for lifting sanctions on select entities and individuals, including some Russian oligarchs, according to the sources,” Reuters continues. And more:

“So-called options papers are often drafted by officials working on sanctions, but the White House’s specific request for one in recent days underscores Trump and his advisers’ willingness to ease Russian sanctions as part of a potential deal with Moscow.”

The fresh development of potentially moving forward with the sanctions-easing comes within hours after headlines saying preparations for a summit between Presidents Trump and Putin are being fast-tracked and accelerated. This in the wake of the explosive row with Zelensky, which saw him booted from the White House before a planned lunch was to take place Friday.

CNN said in the Monday report, “Whether it was orchestrated or not, Moscow – which reacted with glee to the White House slanging match – is now anticipating talks aimed at rebuilding the US-Russia relationship will continue, even accelerate, in the weeks ahead.”

Washington has hopefully perceived by now that its anti-Russian sanctions have by and large not worked, or backfired. In many ways they have only strengthened Moscow’s relations and trade with leading BRICS nations like China and India, as well as Iran.

Despite the prior Trump campaign rhetoric of a speedy negotiation track which will reach a permanent truce soon after he enters office, Trump’s team has since acknowledge that talks are likely to take much longer. A face-to-face Trump-Putin meeting could possibly be just days away, or within a couple of weeks.