The US will not conclude bilateral agreements with Russia or ease sanctions until a ceasefire is achieved in Ukraine.
This was stated by State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce at a briefing.
"There will be no negotiations or agreements while this carnage continues," Bruce emphasized, answering a question about negotiations with Russia and a possible easing of sanctions.
She noted that after the missile strike on Sumy on Palm Sunday, doubts arise about who really wants peace and a ceasefire. The State Department spokeswoman called the war in Ukraine a "meat grinder", emphasizing that the situation remains unchanged, but the US continues to work to establish a ceasefire.
- The US is negotiating with Russia and Ukraine to end the war, but a true ceasefire is still in sight. Kyiv has already agreed to halt hostilities in the Black Sea and not attack Russian energy facilities during a 30-day truce. Moscow, in return, has only promised not to attack energy facilities and said it would implement agreements on the Black Sea only after Western sanctions are lifted.
- The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that Russia is violating the partial ceasefire and warned the Russians against dragging out the peace process. The US President Donald Trump had previously promised to impose tough sanctions against Russia if it did so, but has not yet done so.
- Western media have reported that the US may relax some sanctions against Russia in order to reach a peace agreement. In particular, Reuters, citing sources, wrote that the White House is looking at options for a possible relaxation of sanctions against Russia. At the same time, Bloomberg, citing sources, wrote that the US will not lift sanctions against Russia in the absence of noticeable changes in Moscowʼs behavior. But it is possible that some of them will be relaxed if the Russians begin to take the measures that the US seeks.
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