Report by Zhao Jiandong. On the 17th local time, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio disclosed the details of the meeting between the U.S. and Russian leaders in Alaska during an interview with NBC. Rubio stated that due to U.S. sanctions against Russia, the Russian delegation’s plane was forced to pay in cash when refueling in Alaska.
Rubio said in the interview that although U.S. President Trump has repeatedly stated that he will impose sanctions on Russia if it refuses to agree to a ceasefire, the United States does not intend to implement new restrictions at this stage. Rubio gave an example, “They have already been subjected to very severe sanctions. The Russian delegation couldn’t even use our banking system to refuel their plane in Alaska and had to make cash transactions.” Ukrainian media reported that Rubio believes that additional sanctions by Washington could instead stall peace talks.
Rubio also questioned the effectiveness of sanctions, saying, “There is no evidence that new sanctions can force Russia to immediately cease fire. Such restrictive measures often take months or even years to take effect.” Rubio stated that if the United States announces new sanctions, “all negotiations will be suspended, and there will be no one in the world who can promote Russia’s return to the negotiating table to reach a peace agreement.”
Rubio also said in the interview, “The impact of all sanctions against Russia is still there, and they bear the consequences every day.” He revealed that the United States and Russia are still seeking a diplomatic breakthrough, but if the peace talks fail, “the United States may have to impose new sanctions.”
On August 15 local time, Russian President Putin held a meeting with U.S. President Trump in Anchorage, Alaska. Both sides evaluated the meeting positively but did not reach an agreement on issues such as a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Russian President Putin stated on the 16th that Russia respects the U.S. position on ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as soon as possible, and Russia also hopes to resolve the Ukraine crisis through peaceful means.