According to Bloomberg, advisers to US President-elect Donald Trump are developing a strategy to promote peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, including the possibility of easing sanctions against Russia.
Last week, President Joe Biden announced a new round of “large-scale” sanctions against Russia, including two major oil companies, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz, along with 183 Russian crude oil tankers. These measures have sent global oil prices soaring, with Brent crude up nearly $5 a barrel since the sanctions were announced.
According to Bloomberg sources, Mr. Trump's team is considering two options for future sanctions against Russia.
Option one: If Washington sees the Ukraine conflict as likely to be resolved soon, some sanctions on Russian oil companies could be eased as a gesture of goodwill.
Option two: Increase pressure on Moscow by tightening sanctions, including imposing secondary sanctions or increasing controls on Russian oil tankers.
One of the easing moves could include raising the price ceiling for Russian oil, currently capped at $60 a barrel.
However, these plans are still in the early stages and will depend on how Mr. Trump decides to implement them after taking office.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has strongly criticized Biden's new sanctions, calling them "illegal" and warning that they could destabilize global energy markets. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has also said that President Biden's legacy is "a mess."
Meanwhile, Mr. Trump said that a meeting between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin is being planned, and Moscow also expressed its readiness to negotiate with the future leader of the United States.
