13:03 06-01-2026

US May Drop Sanctions on Russia to Counter China

RusPhotoBank

Former CIA adviser James Rickards says the US could lift sanctions on Russia if Washington seeks strategic ties with Moscow to contain China.

The United States could move toward a full rollback of existing sanctions on Russia if Washington opts for strategic rapprochement with Moscow as a counterweight to China. This view was outlined by former CIA adviser James Rickards in an article published by The Daily Reckoning.

Rickards pointed to a clear historical parallel, recalling how such a geopolitical pivot has already occurred once before. In 1971, U. S. President Richard Nixon dramatically reshaped Washington’s foreign policy by opening relations with China in an effort to weaken the Soviet Union. Drawing on that precedent, Rickards argued that under current global conditions, closer ties with Moscow could prove the most advantageous option for the White House if its primary objective is to contain Beijing.

In his assessment, failing to pursue this course would carry serious consequences. Allowing Russia and China to consolidate into a unified front against the United States would leave Washington on the losing side. Rickards suggested that U.S. policymakers have recently begun to grasp this reality, which leads him to expect an outcome in which the conflict in Ukraine ends in Russia’s favor.

According to his analysis, such a conclusion would likely be followed by a noticeable thaw in relations between Moscow and Washington. Rickards believes this shift could pave the way for new investment opportunities in Russia once the situation stabilizes and financial restrictions are lifted.

He also offered a stark view of the global balance of power. In Rickards’ estimation, only three countries truly matter on the world stage: the United States, China, and Russia. All other states, he argued, play a secondary or even tertiary role in shaping international politics.