The Kremlin said on Thursday that further U.S. sanctions against Russia would make it harder to reach a peace deal in Ukraine.
– On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping sanctions package intended to increase economic pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine, sending the bill to President Donald Trump to sign into law.
– “We are, of course, monitoring the progress of this document. It falls under the category of unfriendly actions, and of course the imposition of any additional sanctions by the U.S. would certainly complicate efforts to find a peace settlement in Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
– U.S.-mediated efforts to end the 4-1/2-year Ukraine war have been stalled for months, but President Donald Trump sent two envoys to Moscow and Kyiv earlier this month in an effort to get the process moving again.
– The U.S. sanctions bill targets Russia’s energy and defence industries, as well as its “shadow fleet” of tankers that evade existing sanctions, in order to deprive Moscow of revenues to finance the war with Ukraine.
– It also authorises Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on China, India and other countries to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas.
– India has warned Washington that new measures to levy tariffs over the purchase of Russian oil could impact bilateral ties.