Former U.S. diplomat: Contradictory messages could weaken Russia sanctions

🔸A former U.S. diplomat told Radio Farda / Radio Azadi that the United States now has new powers to increase economic pressure on Russia, but how effective those powers will be depends on whether the Trump administration uses them consistently and makes clear exactly what it wants from Moscow and other governments.

🔸Daniel Fried, in an interview conducted with him on Mehr 7, said: “The administration should stop sending mixed messages.” He argued that the newly passed law on Russia sanctions, if implemented alongside diplomacy and coordination with the United States’ allies, could provide a meaningful pressure lever for Washington against Moscow.

🔸Fried, who retired from the State Department in 2017, said: “Now is the right time.”

🔸He also said that sanctions can indirectly affect Russia, by forcing the country to sell oil with greater discounts. The former diplomat stated: “If that happens, every dollar that does not go into their pockets will be a success for this law.”

🔸But Fried said that if other signs from Washington indicate that the U.S. administration is more concerned with maintaining Russia’s energy supply in global markets than with reducing Moscow’s revenues, the law will have limited impact.

🔸You can read the full interview on the Radio Farda website.