A MAGA civil war has erupted over reports that President Donald Trump could lift sanctions on Russian energy companies, according to Politico.
During his first term, Trump slapped Russia with sanctions over President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Biden administration continued these penalties, which Trump then carried into his second term.
But Trump may now ease the sanctions, Politico reported—a move that has created a rift within his inner circle. Trump’s Russia-friendly dealmaker-in-chief, Steve Witkoff, has reportedly led the charge to bring the Kremlin back into the fold, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio is wary of doing business with Putin.
The publication cited Executive Branch insiders who claimed that tentative plans have already been drawn up to ease sanctions on Russia
Witkoff, who in February said he had developed a “friendship” with Putin, is keen to appease the Kremlin. If he gets his way, the pipeline connecting Russia and Germany, known as Nord Stream 2, will be re-commissioned.
The more traditional conservative, Rubio, has reportedly tried to derail Witkoff’s plans. While he is keen to speak with Russia about a peace deal with Ukraine, he is reportedly apprehensive about doing business with Putin.
Witkoff told Bloomberg TV last month that “everybody’s open” to lifting sanctions as part of an eventual peace deal. He said when a ceasefire is reached, negotiations will then move to “sanction relief and all the other things that go with a full-on peace treaty.”
However, the pair have shown a united front, at least publicly, and denied any conversation about easing sanctions.
“This is false. Neither of us have had any conversations about lifting sanctions on Russia as part of a peace deal with Ukraine,” they said in a joint statement to Politico. “This is just totally fictitious and irresponsible reporting from Politico, a fifth-rate publication. If they have an ounce of journalistic integrity, they will fully retract this piece of fiction.”
The Kremlin reportedly misled Witkoff about how the U.S. might benefit from lifting sanctions, one person familiar with the matter told Politico.
In fact, another insider said Russia regaining its throne as Europe’s premier energy source would be “a bloodbath for American [oil and gas] producers.”
The source added that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has sided with Rubio.
The Council’s key target, the government says, is to see the U.S. “positioned as a global leader over the next century.”
Inviting Russia back to the top table presumably wouldn’t aid this grand plan.
“There is an internal White House debate between the energy dominance people—Burgum, who wants markets for U.S. LNG (liquefied natural gas)—and Witkoff, who wants to be closer to Russia,” the source said.
“If you bring Russian gas back into the market, that would reduce the appetite of potential buyers of U.S. LNG,” said Laurent Ruseckas, executive director at market analysis firm S&P Global Commodity Insights.
Europe halted gas flow from Russia when Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, allowing U.S. companies to fill the void.
If European countries agree to restart energy trade with Russia, Trump’s decision could prove economically lucrative for Moscow, while potentially harming newly established American profits. If Europe opts to maintain its distance from Russia, the reported decision to ease sanctions could—at the very least—read as a diplomatic victory for the Kremlin.
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