Rubio weighs possible impact of new Russia sanctions

Imposing tougher restrictions could undermine peace talks efforts, the US secretary of state has warned

Introducing more sanctions against Russia could derail ongoing peace efforts in the Ukraine conflict, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Politico on Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump has refused to launch new sanctions targeting Moscow, despite pressure from G7 allies and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky.

Trump has cited the risk of undermining his ongoing diplomatic efforts since taking office in January.

“If we did what everybody here wants us to do, and that is come in and crush them [Russia] with more sanctions, we probably lose our ability to talk to them about the ceasefire – and then who’s talking to them?” Rubio told the news outlet on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague.

Trump will “know the right time and place” for fresh restrictions, he claimed, adding that the administration is working with Congress to ensure the president has the appropriate flexibility.

“If there’s an opportunity for us to make a difference and get them [Russia] to the table, we’re going to take it,” the state secretary emphasized.

Russia has faced unprecedented sanctions from the West following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, measures the Kremlin has dismissed as illegal. These measures have targeted both export capacity and international cooperation, particularly in the areas of finance, shipping, and insurance.

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Top Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have argued that the restrictions have failed to destabilize the country’s economy or isolate it from the global financial system. Instead, the Kremlin maintains that the sanctions have backfired on the countries that imposed them.

Some European officials have admitted that EU sanctions hurt European companies more than Russian firms. According to Ferdinando Pelazzo, president of the Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce, the restrictions have undermined most small businesses. Siegfried Russwurm, president of the Association of German Industry (BDI), has said that Germany is facing mounting risks of deindustrialization due to soaring costs triggered by the refusal to buy cheap Russian energy.

Earlier this year, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham proposed hitting Russia with “bone-breaking” measures, including 500% tariffs on countries that purchase Russian oil and gas. Trump, however, has said that restrictive measures cost Washington “a lot of money,” admitting that the bill is “very strong.” The president has reportedly asked Senate Republicans to delay putting it to a vote.