Rubio: West may need to rethink Russia sanctions for Ukraine peace agreement
The US Secretary of State stated that resolving the Ukraine conflict could lead to "historic" opportunities for relations between the US and Russia. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Ending the conflict could open up “historic” opportunities for US-Russian relations, the US Secretary of State has stated.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized on Tuesday that the United States and its allies would need to reconsider the sanctions imposed on Russia to reach an “enduring, sustainable” resolution to the Ukraine conflict. He expressed Washington's interest in fostering economic cooperation with Moscow after hostilities cease.
Rubio spoke at a press conference in Riyadh, accompanied by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and special envoy Steve Witkoff, following discussions with a Russian delegation. The Russian team included Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, presidential foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov, and Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.
The two sides explored the ongoing conflict and various bilateral matters, including the restoration of diplomatic ties. Both delegations characterized the meeting as constructive and positive.
Rubio noted that sanctions relief could play a role in a peace process aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict.
“In order to bring an end to any conflict, there have to be concessions made by all sides,” the Secretary of State stated. He refrained from detailing the specific parameters of such concessions, indicating that these topics had not yet been discussed with the Russian representatives.
He highlighted that the process of lifting sanctions should also involve Washington’s European allies. “The EU is going to be at the [negotiations] table at some point because they have sanctions as well that have been imposed,” he noted.
According to Rubio, the aim of US President Donald Trump’s administration is to “bring an end to the conflict in a way that is fair, enduring, sustainable and acceptable to all parties involved.” He emphasized that resolving the Ukraine conflict could pave the way for unprecedented opportunities for economic collaboration between Washington and Moscow.
He added that the US must identify “credible opportunities … to partner with the Russians geopolitically, on issues of common interest and … economically on issues that hopefully will be good for the world and also improve our relations in the long term” once the Ukraine conflict reaches an “acceptable end.” He remarked that these opportunities could be “pretty unique” and “potentially historic.”
Over the last three years, the US and EU have imposed significant sanctions against Moscow, which have resulted in an estimated $300 billion in losses for American companies forced to exit the Russian market, according to data from the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized on Tuesday that the United States and its allies would need to reconsider the sanctions imposed on Russia to reach an “enduring, sustainable” resolution to the Ukraine conflict. He expressed Washington's interest in fostering economic cooperation with Moscow after hostilities cease.
Rubio spoke at a press conference in Riyadh, accompanied by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and special envoy Steve Witkoff, following discussions with a Russian delegation. The Russian team included Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, presidential foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov, and Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.
The two sides explored the ongoing conflict and various bilateral matters, including the restoration of diplomatic ties. Both delegations characterized the meeting as constructive and positive.
Rubio noted that sanctions relief could play a role in a peace process aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict.
“In order to bring an end to any conflict, there have to be concessions made by all sides,” the Secretary of State stated. He refrained from detailing the specific parameters of such concessions, indicating that these topics had not yet been discussed with the Russian representatives.
He highlighted that the process of lifting sanctions should also involve Washington’s European allies. “The EU is going to be at the [negotiations] table at some point because they have sanctions as well that have been imposed,” he noted.
According to Rubio, the aim of US President Donald Trump’s administration is to “bring an end to the conflict in a way that is fair, enduring, sustainable and acceptable to all parties involved.” He emphasized that resolving the Ukraine conflict could pave the way for unprecedented opportunities for economic collaboration between Washington and Moscow.
He added that the US must identify “credible opportunities … to partner with the Russians geopolitically, on issues of common interest and … economically on issues that hopefully will be good for the world and also improve our relations in the long term” once the Ukraine conflict reaches an “acceptable end.” He remarked that these opportunities could be “pretty unique” and “potentially historic.”
Over the last three years, the US and EU have imposed significant sanctions against Moscow, which have resulted in an estimated $300 billion in losses for American companies forced to exit the Russian market, according to data from the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
