Kathmandu. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied a recent report in the US media that there has been discussion about lifting sanctions on Russia related to the Ukraine deal.
He called the report “blatantly false.” Accusing Politico of “journalistic abuse,” Rubio said in a post on X, “This is patently false. Neither Steve Witkoff (US Middle East envoy) nor I have ever discussed lifting sanctions against Russia as part of a deal with Ukraine. This is journalistic abuse. If Politico has an ounce of integrity, they should retract this fictional story in its entirety.”
Politico reported, citing sources, that the White House is discussing lifting sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline and potentially other Russian assets in Europe as part of discussions to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. The lifting of current sanctions on one of the main pipelines connecting Russia’s natural gas fields to Western Europe would mark a sharp shift in US policy first imposed during President Donald Trump’s first term, Politico reported.
Former President Joe Biden lifted those sanctions early in his term, but Russian President Vladimir Putin reimposed them after he launched an invasion of Ukraine in 2022. White House special envoy Steve Witkoff has been a leading advocate for easing sanctions against Russia, according to sources cited by Politico.
Witkoff, who befriended Vladimir Putin during his tenure as Donald Trump’s envoy to Moscow, has instructed his team to compile a detailed list of US energy sanctions imposed on Russia as part of ongoing discussions. One of the two Nord Stream 2 pipelines, built to transport gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea, remains operational despite an explosion in 2022.
It damaged one of its lines, along with both of the nearby Nord Stream 1 pipelines. The September 2022 explosion disrupted gas supplies and is still under investigation. Some reports have suggested the possible involvement of Ukrainian citizens.
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