Sanctions Risk Pushing Russia Away From Talks, Rubio Says

President Donald Trump thinks Russia will likely walk away from Ukraine peace talks if the US threatens more sanctions, according to his top diplomat, supporting the White House’s decision not to pressure Moscow despite its resistance to a ceasefire. 

“If you start threatening sanctions, the Russians will stop talking,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Tuesday. “And there’s value in us being able to talk to them and drive them to get to the table.”

Rubio’s comments came when pressured by Senator Chris Coons, Democrat from Delaware, on whether the administration plans to slap more sanctions on Russia or send more arms to Ukraine. 

Trump’s efforts to push President Vladimir Putin to a ceasefire took a hit Monday after a direct phone call between the two leaders resulted in the US stepping back from direct engagement and signaling the White House wasn’t ready to slap new sanctions on Moscow. 

The outcome disappointed many European allies, who had expected Washington to take a harder line after Trump in recent weeks demanded a 30-day ceasefire and threatened further actions. That could include allowing passage of a bipartisan bill prepared by Senator Lindsey Graham that would enact “bone-crushing” new sanctions.

“It would be helpful if the United States slammed its fist on the table — if that much-discussed sanctions package presented by the senators could be adopted,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in an interview with France Inter earlier Tuesday. 

“Everyone understands that he will pursue his colonial war to the very end unless we put a stop to it,” he said, referring to Putin.

On Tuesday, the European Union approved its latest sanctions package against Russia, targeting nearly 200 shadow fleet ships as well as addressing hybrid threats and human rights.

“More sanctions on Russia are in the works,” the bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on X. “The longer Russia wages war, the tougher our response.”

To be sure, Rubio told senators Tuesday that Trump is “fully aware” that he has sanctions options he can still pursue.

“The president is very committed to ending the dying, ending the bloodshed, and he wants to preserve as long as he possibly can the opportunity to influence both sides,” he said. 

Later in the day, during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee meeting, Rubio said he expects Russia to present a broad “term sheet” as soon as this week, which the administration will then determine is “realistic” or not. 

Asked about further sanctions during an Oval Office event on Tuesday, Trump said: “That’s going to be my determination. That’s going to be nobody else’s determination.”

“We’ll see how Russia behaves,” he said. 

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.