European diplomats are expressing concerns about the potential lifting of US sanctions on Russia.
While the US currently has no plans to remove the sanctions, there is concern that the American position could change, according to the Financial Times, citing sources in the EU. The publication notes that the US intends to maintain and possibly strengthen sanctions against Russia, which contradicts the stated goal of the US administration to improve economic relations with Russia.
European officials are worried about the inconsistency of signals coming from Washington. If the sanctions are lifted, Russia is likely to exploit gaps in the global financial system to resume its activities in various areas. At the same time, the 16th round of sanctions against Russia was agreed upon by permanent representatives of EU countries, despite uncertainty in US policy.
In Russia, it has been repeatedly stated that the country will cope with external pressure and believes that Western sanctions have failed. Moscow emphasizes that the West lacks the courage to acknowledge the failure of these measures. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the West’s policy aims at the long-term containment and weakening of Russia, and sanctions are causing serious harm to the global economy, attempting to worsen the lives of millions of people.
