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Trump says suspension of Russia sanctions is to keep peace negotiations going
BBC • • nation
Key Points:
- US President Donald Trump suspended several Russian sanctions to keep Moscow engaged in peace negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, describing the move as an effort to avoid pushing Russia away from the bargaining table.
- Trump blocked the sanctions just before they were due to take effect, amid escalating tensions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom Trump accused of not wanting to end the war.
- Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the suspension a historic moment, warning the sanctions would have caused serious damage to US and global markets, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the move as a 60-day pause to assess economic impacts.
- Despite sanctions, Russia continues exporting oil mainly to China and India at discounted prices, with China taking about half and India around 37% of Russian crude exports, according to CREA.
- Zelensky condemned Trump's plans to import Russian diesel and criticized the easing of sanctions, asserting that Putin does not want peace and emphasizing the need for stringent measures to limit Russia's war funding.
