Advisers to US President-elect Donald Trump are reportedly formulating a comprehensive sanctions strategy to facilitate a potential Russia-Ukraine diplomatic deal in the coming days, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.
The plan explores options ranging from easing restrictions on Russian oil producers as goodwill measures to intensifying sanctions to increase leverage.
Simultaneously, Trump’s team is devising policies to exert pressure on Iran and Venezuela, signaling a more assertive approach to global geopolitical challenges, Bloomberg reported.
The outgoing Biden administration enacted the most significant sanctions on Russia’s oil trade by any Western power to date, raising questions about how Trump will approach these measures given his pledge to swiftly end the war in Ukraine.
The Trump team is reportedly considering two main strategies. One option, if the administration believes a resolution to the Ukraine war is within reach, involves implementing goodwill measures to support sanctioned Russian oil producers, potentially facilitating a peace agreement.
The Trump team’s plans are in the early stages and would depend on the president-elect himself. Last week, Trump said a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was being set up, raising the prospect of talks to end the war.
Bloomberg reported that the strategy discussions include some of Trump’s cabinet nominees as well as former sanctions officials in his first administration. Several conservative think tanks are also being concluded.
Trump’s advisers will ultimately be taking the issues of avoiding major supply and price disruptions to the oil market at a time when the US has placed sanctions on three of the world’s top producers.
On Wednesday, US officials implemented measures to complicate Trump’s ability to unilaterally lift certain sanctions on Russia.
For the Trump administration, a more aggressive stance toward Russia could involve stricter enforcement of secondary sanctions on oil trading, targeting European shipping companies and Asian buyers.
The Trump team is also assessing the policy of sanctions for Iran and Venezuela. There’s a consensus among key advisers of Trump to return to a full maximum pressure strategy targeting Tehran, starting with more sanctions that target major players in the oil industry.
