Iryna Nesterova19:05, 02.07.25

The lifting of restrictions against some Russian enterprises was a consequence of the lifting of sanctions against Syria.

As a result of US President Donald Trump’s lifting of some sanctions against Syria on July 1, a number of Russian companies, including some Russian banks and Rosoboronexport, have been removed from the “blacklists,” The Moscow Times reports .

As the publication reports, citing a release from the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), as a result of the lifting of sanctions against Syria, restrictions were lifted on the former president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), former head of Kalmykia, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.

“I perceive this decision as a serious signal of the interest of the US leadership – and President Trump personally – to change the nature of relations with our country. I am glad to meet with Mr. Trump, thank him for a completely fair decision, and as a diplomat and the seventh president of FIDE – to share my vision of international development… and play a game of chess,” The Moscow Times quotes Ilyumzhinov.

It is noted that Ilyumzhinov was subject to US sanctions in 2015 for supporting the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. Other Russian companies were also subject to Syrian sanctions: the Russian Financial Alliance bank, owned by Ilyumzhinov, Tempbank, Iran’s Svit Business Bank, RFK-Bank, Rosoboronexport, Global Vision Group, STG Logistics, Maritime Assistance, and others.Read also:

However, Trump left sanctions in place against former Syrian President Bashar Assad, his family members, and supporters of his regime. 

The OFAC release said the United States seeks a “stable, united, and peaceful Syria” that does not provide sanctuary to terrorist organizations and ensures the protection of the rights of religious and ethnic minorities. President Trump also directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review Syria’s status as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Probability of new US sanctions against Russia

As UNIAN previously reported, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated that Trump is not ready for new sanctions against Russia . According to him, tougher sanctions against the aggressor country will harm “talking to them about a ceasefire,” so Washington prefers to leave some diplomatic flexibility. Rubio said that Trump “will know the right time and place” when new sanctions become appropriate. But he warned: “Once that happens, it will mean that the window for negotiations with Russia is closed.”

Czech President Petr Pavel also said that Trump was urged to increase pressure on Russia at the NATO summit , but he remained hesitant. “We spoke to him very consistently and together, convincing him that it was time to significantly increase economic pressure on Russia,” Pavel said, describing a dinner conversation attended by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and NATO chief Mark Rutte. According to the Czech leader, the goal is not to cause Russia’s economic collapse, but only to make it realize that there is no alternative to negotiations. Pavel says that Trump “remained restrained” but “he realizes that this (sanctions, – ed.) is a very effective tool.”

(C)UNIAN 2025