Donald Trump's Statements Regarding the Possibility of Lifting Sanctions on Russia

Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, stated in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that sanctions against Russia will remain in place for a while, but if Moscow assists the U.S., there would be no reason to maintain the sanctions. According to Reuters, on Friday, the Wall Street Journal published excerpts from a one-hour interview with Donald Trump. In this interview, Mr. Trump said, 'If you get along, and if Russia really helps us, then why should anyone be sanctioned if someone is doing great things?' Reuters reports that the President-elect of the U.S. implicitly emphasized that if Russia helps the U.S. in the fight against terrorism and other Washington objectives, he might consider lifting the sanctions imposed by the Obama administration against Russia in December. The Wall Street Journal also asked Donald Trump about his readiness to meet with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. Mr. Trump stated, 'I understand they want to meet, and I have no problem with that.' U.S. security agencies previously announced that Vladimir Putin personally ordered a campaign for cyberattacks and the distortion of media reports aimed at undermining Hillary Clinton's election activities. In December, the Obama administration expelled 35 Russian employees suspected of involvement in espionage activities in response to these cyberattacks and imposed sanctions on key Russian security entities. Media reports suggest that the reason the Russian President announced that Moscow would not take reciprocal action is that Vladimir Putin hopes to improve relations with Washington during Donald Trump's presidency. Mr. Trump praised this stance of Vladimir Putin in a Twitter message. Initially, Mr. Trump denied the issue of Russian email hacking, but on Wednesday, during a press conference, he accepted the 'possibility of Russia's involvement in these cyberattacks.' The Wall Street Journal also asked Donald Trump whether he supports the 'One China' policy, which has been the foundation of Washington-Beijing relations for decades. Mr. Trump stated, 'We are currently negotiating on all issues, including the 'One China' policy.' The President-elect of the U.S. further clarified that as long as Beijing does not end its monetary and trade policies, he does not guarantee adherence to the 'One China' policy. The dispute between Donald Trump and China began following his victory in the presidential election and a phone call with the President of Taiwan. Donald Trump and Tsai Ing-wen, the President of Taiwan, referenced the 'close economic, political, and security relations' between the U.S. and Taiwan during a ten-minute phone call on Friday, December 3, and Mr. Trump also congratulated Ms. Tsai Ing-wen on her victory in the presidential election earlier this year. China protested this phone call, but Donald Trump, in his interview with Fox News regarding this protest, stated, 'I don't like China telling me what to do, and this phone call was initiated by the other side.' Four decades ago, Jimmy Carter, the then-President of the U.S., distanced himself from separate diplomatic relations with Taiwan by announcing the 'One China' policy and recognized Taiwan as part of 'One China,' a policy that has been consistently followed as the official U.S. stance on this issue.