The United States announced its readiness to ease sanctions against Russia for the sake of concessions on Ukraine

The US will agree to ease sanctions on Russia if the country is ready to engage in “serious negotiations” on Ukraine and withdraw its troops. This statement was made by US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland.

“In the context of the Russian decision to negotiate seriously and withdraw its forces from Ukraine and return the territory, I would, of course, be in support and, I think, [американский] secretary of state [Энтони] Blinken would also speak in support,” she said, commenting on the possibility of lifting some US restrictions against the Russian Federation (quote according to TASS).

In response to Nuland’s statement, the head of the Russian delegation at the talks in Vienna on military security and arms control, Konstantin Gavrilov saidthat Moscow is ready for negotiations “without a fig in your pocket”, but they do not see the initiative in this matter from the United States.

Earlier today, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov declaredthat the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky from the very beginning was not interested in a peaceful settlement in the Donbass. He added that the Ukrainian leader has long ceased to be a possible interlocutor of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The day before, January 25, Peskov notedthat so far the Kremlin does not see prospects for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. Before that he emphasizedthat Russia will not negotiate on Ukraine’s terms. And Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Zelensky’s conditions for peace talks “absurd.” In addition, Ukraine currently has a law that prohibits negotiations with Russia.

Earlier today the US once again expanded sanctions against Russian citizens and companies. In particular, the restrictions affected the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov and the head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. Four companies owned by Vladimir Potanin’s Interros were also sanctioned: Whiteleave Holdings, Saltcliff Trading Limited, MK Interros Invest and Interros Capital.