February 02, 2017

Putin, don’t expect much from Trump's sanctions relief

By: Elizabeth Rosenberg

Recent reports suggest that President Trump is preparing to roll back U.S. financial sanctions on Russia in order to improve bilateral relations. But such measures will not deliver any significant economic relief to Russia, and they could be undercut by Russia hawks in the U.S. Congress.

What’s more, sanctions relief could hurt some U.S. economic interests.

President Trump has offered little regard for the financial sanctions enacted by the Obama administration to target Russia’s territorial aggression in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine.

It would come as little surprise if he acts unilaterally to implement this policy, even without Moscow’s fulfillment of Minks commitments as demanded by European leaders and many in Congress. The sanctions Trump would abolish restrict Russia’s banking, energy, and defense sectors, and impose visa bans and asset freezes on Russian and Crimean individuals. They were carefully coordinated with Europe, and supplemented by the U.S. Congress.

Read the full article at The Hill.

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