US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has firmly rejected claims that the Trump administration is considering lifting sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline as part of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
“This is unequivocally false,” Rubio posted on X. “Neither [special envoy] Steve Witkoff nor I have had any conversations about lifting sanctions against Russia as part of a deal with Ukraine.”
Rubio went further, accusing Politico — which first published the story — of “journalistic malpractice” and called for a full retraction.
The Politico article, citing anonymous sources said to be familiar with internal discussions, claimed the Trump administration was internally debating the idea of lifting sanctions on Russian energy infrastructure — specifically the Nord Stream 2 pipeline — as part of broader talks about ending the Ukraine war.
According to the report, Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine negotiations, had allegedly been a leading voice in raising the option and had requested a full list of current energy-related sanctions on Russia. However, one of the unnamed sources admitted the idea “has not found much traction in the White House” and that Rubio had actively opposed it.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, completed in 2021, was sanctioned under the Trump administration in 2019 and later shelved due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite being physically complete, the pipeline has never become operational.
Rubio’s swift denial comes amid heightened scrutiny over potential shifts in U.S. policy toward Russia. As peace negotiations continue behind closed doors, the Trump administration has emphasized that no concessions will be made that undermine Ukraine or reward Russian aggression.
While the Politico report raised questions about whether sanctions relief could be used as a bargaining chip, Rubio’s response suggests the administration remains committed to maintaining pressure on Moscow until significant concessions are made.
The State Department and the White House have not yet issued formal statements beyond Rubio’s post.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the command post of the Russian forces “West” grouping on Thursday (November 20), meeting with Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov and senior military officials, the Kremlin said.
The White House said on Thursday (November 20) that senior Trump administration officials met with Ukrainian representatives this past week to discuss a peace plan designed to be acceptable to both Ukraine and Russia.
President Donald Trump on Thursday (20 November) assailed Democratic lawmakers who told members of U.S. military they must refuse any illegal orders, calling them traitors and saying they should face the death penalty.
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