“Many people view the United States favorably.” The senator called on Nuland to lift sanctions against Duma deputies
At a hearing in the US Congress, Senator Rand Paul suggested that State Department representative Victoria Nuland consider the possibility of not tightening, but mutually lifting some of the sanctions with Russia.
Paul recalled that in 2021, Nuland flew to Moscow for negotiations, although before that she was banned from entering Russia. But then the sanctions against Nuland were lifted in exchange for the fact that the United States lifted restrictions on “one individual” - a citizen of the Russian Federation, the senator said.
However, Nuland rejected such a deal.
“Senator Paul, this is only possible in the context of Russia's decision to seriously negotiate the withdrawal of its troops from Ukraine and the return of territory,” the official said.
The senator continued to insist on his point.
"I don't think lifting sanctions on the Duma will be traded for ending the war... I'm talking about a very small incremental lifting of sanctions on members of the legislature in exchange for them doing the same," Paul said, explaining that politicians at the time could negotiate “for the sake of peace.”
The American clarified that in the Duma “many people have a favorable attitude towards our country.”
“Senator, all the members of the Duma against whom we have sanctions are people who supported Russia’s war, the annexation of Crimea, and so on,” Nuland brushed off.
Paul noted that Duma deputies simply reflect the mood in Russia, where reunification with Crimea is supported.
“This would amount to about 90% of the Russian population. It would probably be 90% of the Duma... I'm not saying that this is correct, I am saying that this is their point of view. If we were going to punish people for their faith, for their kind of nationalistic version of the world, then we would not have any discussions between people or legislators,” the senator said.
He also drew attention to calls to organize a tribunal over the Russian leadership.
“You, or the administration, or anyone else who calls for prosecution and says this is a genocide, a holocaust... Once you say that, I think you make peace less likely.
Nothing I say means that everything Putin has done is justified. I'm just saying that if you're going to say those things, you have very little chance of any kind of peaceful settlement,” Rand Paul warned.
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