The US is ready to soften sanctions against the Russian Federation if the Kremlin removes troops from Ukraine - Nutland

Moscow should withdraw its troops from Ukraine to demonstrate the desire to start serious negotiations and possible mitigation of sanctions on Russia. The US State Department may consider mitigating sanctions in the Russian Federation for its aggression against Ukraine if Moscow agrees to withdraw its troops and start serious negotiations. This was stated by the official representative of the State Department Victoria Nutland during the hearings on the Senate International Affairs Committee.

She noted that if the Kremlin is really interested in mitigating sanctions and the beginning of serious negotiations, then Russia should withdraw its troops from Ukraine. "In the context of the Russian decision, Washington is ready to weaken the sanctions against Moscow for serious negotiations on Ukraine and the withdrawal of Russian troops and the return of the territory, I would, of course, have been supported and, I think, the Secretary of State Blinken would also be supported," she said.

Concerning the possibility of abolishing some sanctions against Russia. In addition, Nutland said the US would not have time to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine for a spring offensive. "Abrams, as you know, very difficult tanks. They require serious preparation. Even if we have approved their transfer yesterday, it takes a while to deliver them to the battlefield. It's not the technique that will appear before the spring offensive," - Nutland emphasized.

We will remind, earlier Focus reported that on January 26 Washington expanded sanctions against legal entities and individuals from Russia, including in the sanction list of the US Treasury, ship repair companies, structures and persons related to the Russian "Wagner group" and its head appeared Eugene Prigogin. In addition, the focus informed earlier that on January 25, the European Union Ministers agreed on the continuation of all economic sanctions entered against the Russian Federation.