US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cooled European enthusiasm for new sanctions against Russia, surprising NATO foreign ministers he met the day before at the alliance's annual summit.
Politico writes about this.
Trump Knows When to Impose Sanctions on Russia
During a dinner ahead of a NATO summit on Tuesday, Rubio said the Senate would likely consider a bill to increase sanctions on Russia following the passage of President Donald Trump's massive fiscal initiative, known as the Big Good Bill.
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Rubio suggested the vote could happen as early as this week, according to four European diplomats familiar with the meeting.
Despite criticism from allies over the Trump administration's reluctance to take a tougher stance on Moscow, Rubio acknowledged that Russia is blocking peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.
However, the very next day, in an exclusive interview with Politico on the sidelines of the summit, he voiced the reasons for the US’s restrained approach to the new restrictions.
“If we do what everyone here wants, which is crush Russia with even more sanctions, then we will lose the opportunity to talk about a ceasefire. And then who will they talk to?” Rubio said.
He added that the president knows when the time is right to change course.
One senior U.S. official noted that Rubio consistently communicates three main messages:
- President Trump is convinced that the only way to end the war is through negotiations;
- new sanctions from the US will make it impossible for Washington to participate in the peace process;
- The US Senate is an independent body, and sooner or later it will still adopt sanctions.
Sanctions Bill in Congress
Although Sen. Lindsey Graham's bill already has more than 80 co-sponsors — enough to override a presidential veto — Senate Majority Leader John Thune is in no rush to take it up. He's waiting for a clear signal of support from Trump.
Rubio confirmed that the White House is working with Graham and other senators on the details to ensure the bill leaves the president flexibility to impose sanctions.
“It could happen. We've already discussed how to structure it. Because we think it should give the president flexibility in applying sanctions. And we haven't lifted any of the sanctions that are in place,” Rubio said.
Despite the muted rhetoric at the summit, where NATO officials tried to avoid actions that might irritate Trump, some European diplomats still expressed frustration with the lack of U.S. resolve on the war in Ukraine.
“In the end, it could look like Putin is leading Trump by the nose. Trump says he wants to end the war. But that can only happen if the pressure on Putin increases,” said one European diplomat.
