Trump sees no reason to economically isolate Russia outside war in Ukraine, Vance says
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U.S. President Donald Trump does not believe Russia should be cut off from the global economy beyond the context of its war against Ukraine, Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with One America News Network published on Sept. 10.
The statement comes as, despite Trump's repeated threats, his administration has imposed only limited penalties on Russia and, in some cases, has rolled back restrictions.
"The president's been very open with the Europeans and the Russians that he doesn't see any reason why we should economically isolate Russia except for the continuation of the conflict," Vance said.
The vice president added that Russia remains a resource powerhouse.
"Let's be honest, whether you like or dislike Russia, whether you agree or disagree with their underlying arguments for the conflict, the simple fact is they've got a lot of oil," Vance said.
"They've got a lot of gas. They've got a lot of mineral wealth."
According to the vice president, once a settlement is reached, Washington could have "a very productive economic relationship" with both Kyiv and Moscow.
His remarks come as Trump's peace proposals allegedly include lifting sanctions on Moscow, sparking concerns in Kyiv and Brussels that the West might lose leverage over the Kremlin.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sept. 8 that Europe must cut purchases of Russian oil and gas if it wants Washington to step up sanctions to push Moscow toward meaningful negotiations.
In August, Washington imposed tariffs on India, one of Russia's biggest oil buyers, but stopped short of broader action. Indian officials said the tariffs would not halt their imports of Russian crude.
European Council President Antonio Costa announced on Sept. 5 that a delegation would travel to Washington to coordinate a new package of joint sanctions.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the following day that Washington is ready to expand secondary tariffs on countries buying Russian oil, though no further measures have been announced.
