Trump Reportedly Preparing To Ease Sanctions On Russia

• The US is drawing up a plan to relieve certain sanctions on Russia, according to reports from Reuters
• The White House has asked the State and Treasury departments to draft a list of sanctions that could be eased
• There is a proposal to lift sanctions on select entities and individuals, including some Russian oligarchs

The US is drawing up a plan to potentially relieve sanctions on Russia according to reports from Reuters.

This is with a view to stopping the war in Ukraine, per a US official.

Reuters reported that the White House has asked the State and Treasury departments to draft a list of sanctions that could be eased as part of the administration's broad talks with Russia.

There is a proposal to lift sanctions on select entities and individuals, including some Russian oligarchs.

So-called options papers are often drafted by officials working on sanctions, but the White House's specific request for one in recent days underscores Trump and his advisers' willingness to ease Russian sanctions as part of a potential deal with Moscow.

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The White House, the State Department, the Treasury Department and the Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Kremlin last year described relations as "below zero" under the administration of Joe Biden, a Democrat who backed Ukraine with aid and weapons and imposed tough sanctions on Russia to punish it for its invasion in 2022.

But Trump, who has promised a quick end to the war, has upended US policy swiftly to open talks with Moscow followed by meetings between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Ukraine ambassador challenges African countries

Ukraine’s ambassador to Nigeria, Ivan Kholostenko, has called on African countries to showcase solidarity in battling threats from Russia.

Marking the third anniversary of the invasion, Kholostenko penned an article on the nature of neocolonialism and how the war in his country resembles the situation in Africa.

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2025 marks the third year of the invasion from Russia. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, having annexed Crimea in 2014.

In January 2024, Ghana was invited to join the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula meant to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with then-president Nana Akufo-Addo in Switzerland on the sidelines of the 2024 World Economic Forum and said Ghana's involvement in the 10-point peace plan would be vital.

The plan spans food and energy security, territorial integrity, environmental safety, release of prisoners and withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

Ukraine opens embassy in Ghana

YEN.com.gh reported that Ukraine opened an embassy in Ghana in April 2024 as a testament to its desire to build stronger relations with Accra.

The Ukrainians said opening the embassy was a strategic move to tap into the opportunity of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and expand their trade reach.

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Ghana welcomed the embassy and pledged to continue collaborating with Ukraine in economic, educational and political pacts.

Proofread by Samuel Gitonga, Copy Editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh