Kremlin: Fresh US Sanctions to Make Ukraine Peace Deal More Difficult
Impact of New US Sanctions on Russia and Ukraine Peace Efforts
Kremlin's Response to US Sanctions
MOSCOW, Sept 17 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Thursday that further U.S. sanctions against Russia would make it harder to reach a peace deal in Ukraine.
Details of the US Sanctions Package
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.
Kremlin's Official Statement
"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.
US Diplomatic Efforts and Stalled Peace Process
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.
Scope and Targets of the Sanctions
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.
Tariffs on Other Countries
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's Reaction to Potential Tariffs
India has warned Washington that new measures to levy tariffs over the purchase of Russian oil could impact bilateral ties.
(Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov; Writing by Alessandra Prentice and Mark Trevelyan; editing by Vladimir Soldatkin)
