Alaska Summit Could Lead to Partial Lifting of Russia Sanctions

US President Donald Trump has made it clear that imposing new sanctions against Russia is not his current priority, emphasizing diplomacy as the guiding principle ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15. Trump stated that the aim is to end the conflict in Ukraine, describing the encounter as a “trial” meeting to determine whether a peace deal is possible. Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said the leaders will focus on exploring long-term settlement options for the conflict. According to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, sanctions could be tightened if the talks in Alaska fail to yield results. Temporary Sanctions Relief to Facilitate Alaska Summit The US Treasury Department announced that certain transactions banned under existing sanctions will be permitted until August 20, in order to facilitate the organization of the Russia-US summit. The waiver applies to operations essential for arranging and supporting the official meetings between the two delegations in Alaska. “All operations prohibited by sanctions that are ordinary and necessary for participating in or supporting meetings in the State of Alaska between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation are authorized until 00:01 Eastern Time, August 20, 2025.” — US Treasury Department