Russia warns against overreliance on US President's decision not to enforce sanctions law

Moscow, October 20 (KUNA) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on Tuesday for not overestimating the significance of U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision not to enforce a new sanctions law against Russia and its partners, warning that the law remains in force and its stance under the next U.S. administration is unpredictable. Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted Lavrov as saying during a meeting with university graduates who joined the diplomatic service at the Russian Foreign Ministry that Trump had not permanently abandoned the law but had decided not to activate its measures at the current stage, considering that imposing broad tariffs under the present circumstances does not serve U.S. interests. Lavrov added that the decision is linked to internal U.S. calculations, particularly the desire to avoid disruption in global energy markets ahead of the midterm congressional elections scheduled for November next year, stressing that the law does not specify an expiration date and that the next U.S. president may take a different position on it. Regarding the prospects for Russian-U.S. relations, Lavrov affirmed that Moscow does not expect “any miracle” from the Trump administration, noting that the United States will remain, at best, a competitor to Russia, and that Moscow will handle developments according to its national interests without relying on changes in U.S. positions to its advantage. He said Russia will study proposals put forward by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, but will not make any political concessions in exchange for improving relations with Washington. He added that Moscow is ready to consider initiatives that serve its economic and financial interests and to conclude economic agreements with the United States, provided they are not linked to political concessions or to relying on a U.S. political stance that guarantees Russian interests in international files. Lavrov also affirmed his country’s readiness to resume relations with Western countries, but stressed that a return to the status quo that prevailed before 2022 is no longer possible, referring to the changes that have taken place in Russian-Western relations since that year. In this context, Lavrov believed that “the West will no longer be the main player dictating the rules of the game on the international stage,” considering that the ongoing transformations in the global economy, politics, and finance reflect the world’s transition to a different international system, and he affirmed that his country supports equal dialogue and the search for a balance of interests in global politics. (End) D.A.N. / R.J.