U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is considering new sanctions against Russia if Moscow does not accelerate peace negotiations with Ukraine, according to Reuters sources.
,,- A good target for pressure would be to disrupt Russia's Shadow fleet, which illegally transports oil through the Baltic Sea-Heinrich wrote.
White House Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Trump is frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. She stated that "the president wants to end this war because people have been dying on both sides for too long."
Additionally, comments from Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov intensified the situation. He stated that Moscow cannot accept the American proposals for ending the war in their current form, as they do not address the issues that the Kremlin believes led to the conflict.
,,-"We have not heard a signal from Trump to Kyiv to end the war," [since the beginning of the invasion, the Russian authorities have consistently called it a "special military operation"; failure to comply with this is punishable by up to 15 years in prison - belsat.eu ]. "All that exists today is an attempt to find some kind of a scheme that would first allow us to achieve a ceasefire, as the Americans think of it."- stated the diplomat, quoted by the BFM portal.
For over three years of full-scale war, Moscow has consistently claimed that its objectives are to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine. It means pressuring Kyiv to abandon its Western-oriented development and reintegrate into the Russian sphere of influence. Russia's Special Presidential Envoy for Investment and Economic Cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, is set to visit Washington in the coming days. He will meet with Trump's Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Dmitriev will be the first high-ranking Russian official to visit the U.S. since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. The U.S. has temporarily lifted sanctions against him to facilitate this visit.
,,-Maybe [I will come to the U.S.]. Russia talks were being met with "resistance" from "entrenched interests and old narratives." "But what if improved relations are exactly what the world needs for lasting global security and peace?" Dmitriev said on the X portal, commenting on CNN reports.
Pressure is increasing in the U.S. Congress to implement stricter sanctions against Russia. A bipartisan bill, supported by fifty senators (25 Republicans and 25 Democrats), proposes to impose tariffs of 500 percent on imports from countries that purchase Russian oil, natural gas, or uranium. Additionally, the bill includes sanctions against any country that buys Russian uranium. The bill also prohibits U.S. financial institutions from investing in entities tied to the Russian government and forbids U.S. citizens from purchasing Russian bonds.
The bill's lead authors, Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, state that the initiative has widespread bipartisan support and will likely be passed with overwhelming backing if brought to a vote. However, implementing these sanctions could result in a significant economic confrontation with India and China, the top importers of Russian oil, which may also impact Europe's energy situation.
lp / belsat.eu
Translated by PEV
