Trump's Advisor: Lifting Sanctions on Russia May Be Discussed with Putin

As Donald Trump's senior advisor states that the U.S. President is prepared to consider lifting sanctions against Russia in his first official conversation with Vladimir Putin, Trump himself says it is still too early to make such a decision. The first official phone call between the Presidents of Russia and the U.S. is scheduled for Saturday, February 28, and Kellyanne Conway, Trump's senior advisor, mentioned in an interview with Fox News a day before the meeting that "the issue of lifting sanctions could also be considered". Conway added, "If Vladimir Putin is willing to seriously cooperate with the U.S. in the fight against Islamic terrorism, we will consider his proposals." However, Trump emphasized during a joint press conference with the British Prime Minister on Friday that it is still too early to discuss lifting sanctions on Russia. U.S. sanctions against Russia, aligned with the European Union, have been in place since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. In recent days, following reports of the imminent phone conversation between Trump and Putin, speculation about the potential lifting of sanctions on Russia has arisen. Trump had promised better relations with Russia during his election campaign and reiterated this commitment on Friday. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Theresa May clarified in the same press conference that her country wants to maintain sanctions against Russia until the Minsk agreement is implemented, which aims to end the war in Ukraine. According to Bloomberg, Trump's and Putin's plans for their first official talks since Trump took office have raised concerns in the European Union about the future of sanctions against Russia. Bloomberg also noted that, given U.S. security agencies' reports on Russia's interference in the presidential election in favor of Trump, the new U.S. President's relationship with Putin has become a sensitive issue. Trump, who has repeatedly defended improving relations with Russia, stated on January 11 in his first press conference after winning the election that "if Putin is interested in Trump, I consider it an asset, not a liability." Regarding the potential discussion between the U.S. and Russian Presidents about sanctions, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, stated that he is unaware of any plans to discuss sanctions in the upcoming phone call. Peskov added that the two leaders would exchange views on U.S.-Russia relations and that Putin would congratulate Trump on his presidency. He stated, "This is their first phone call since Trump took office, and it is unlikely that significant discussions will take place regarding various aspects of the two countries' relations." Trump is also scheduled to speak with the leaders of France and Germany, who support sanctions against Russia, on Saturday.