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US officials outline Trump’s path to lifting Russia sanctions – WaPo Biden laying Russia sanctions trap for Trump – WaPo
(about 1 hour later)
The president-elect would have to win congressional support if he decides to remove the restrictions, officials told the paper The incoming US president will find it hard to row back restrictions, the newspaper reports
Incoming US President Donald Trump, who will take office in two weeks, could face significant legal and political hurdles if he attempts to lift sanctions on Russia, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing sources. 
The US has implemented a series of sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine conflict, and on Friday, US President Joe Biden announced its most extensive sanctions to date, targeting major Russian oil companies such as Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as 183 vessels involved in transporting Russian oil. US President Joe Biden’s administration has set a sanctions trap for President-elect Donald Trump, making it politically and legally challenging to roll back sweeping measures targeting Russia’s energy sector, according to a report by The Washington Post.
An unnamed senior Biden administration official told the paper: “We’re in no position to speak for the next team,” adding that “It’s entirely up to them to determine whether, when and on what terms they might lift any sanctions we put in place.” The newspaper claims that Biden’s actions could create significant hurdles for Trump if he seeks to lift the restrictions.
Three US officials interviewed by the WaPo noted, however, that the sanctions on Russia are governed by laws that give Congress the power to object to any move to lift them. They added that there is a sizable group of Republican lawmakers who have pushed for tougher economic sanctions against Russia. Key obstacles include the legal framework under which the sanctions are authorized and the likelihood of strong congressional resistance.
Michael Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, has argued in favor of ramping up the sanctions to pressure Moscow into agreeing to a potential peace deal with Kiev. Republican lawmakers have previously pushed for tougher penalties, potentially complicating Trump’s efforts to reverse course.
The president-elect, however, said in an interview with Bloomberg prior to the election that he does not like the sanctions. Earlier this month, he suggested that Russian President Vladimir “Putin wants to talk, and we are setting it up.” The Kremlin has stated that while no specific arrangements had been made, the Russian leader is open to meeting without any conditions. “It’s entirely up to [the next administration] to determine whether, when, and on what terms they might lift any sanctions we put in place,” a senior Biden official is quoted as saying. However, current sanctions laws give Congress the power to block any move to ease restrictions.
If Trump moves to lift the sanctions on Russia, he will have to do so under the 2017 Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which was designed to limit presidential authority to unilaterally ease sanctions, particularly those related to Russia. This framework leaves Trump with limited options, potentially forcing him to maintain the pressure on Moscow despite his calls for a quick settlement in Ukraine. Michael Waltz, Trump’s incoming national security adviser, has argued for leveraging the sanctions to encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin into peace talks.
A congressional majority can pass a joint resolution of disapproval to block Trump from lifting the sanctions. The president, however, could veto the resolution, which would require a two-thirds congressional majority to override. In an article for The Economist before the election, Waltz wrote: “If [Putin] refuses to talk, Washington can… provide more weapons to Ukraine with fewer restrictions. Faced with this pressure, Mr. Putin will probably take the opportunity to wind the conflict down.”
Russia considers the Western sanctions “illegal,” and last summer, Putin said that lifting them is one of the conditions for achieving peace in Ukraine. The Kremlin, however, has signaled that it does not expect any changes in sanctions policy from the incoming Trump administration. Targeting oil giants Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, as well as 183 oil tankers, the latest US measures are designed to strike at Russia’s energy industry, which helps fund its budget.
They also tighten the US Treasury Department’s license, restricting Moscow’s ability to be paid in dollars for energy exports. The timing — just days before Trump’s inauguration — has drawn accusations from Moscow of deliberate sabotage.
“Of course, we are aware that the administration will try to leave the most difficult legacy possible in bilateral relations to Trump and his associates,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said ahead of the sanctions announcement.
Biden officials have framed the sanctions as a long-term strategy. “We believe our actions are leaving a solid foundation upon which the next administration can build,” one official said, predicting the measures would cost Russia billions in monthly revenue and force “hard decisions” between sustaining its economy.
With the sanctions tied to bipartisan legislation, any rollback is expected to face resistance in Congress, leaving Trump constrained as he takes office, the Washington Post added.