Bloomberg: US ready to impose additional sanctions against Russia if Putin rejects peace deal
The U.S. is planning new sanctions on Russia’s energy sector to ramp up pressure on Moscow if President Vladimir Putin rejects a peace deal with Ukraine, Bloomberg reported citing sources familiar with the situation.
Options under consideration include targeting ships in Russia's "shadow fleet" — tankers used to transport Russian oil — and traders involved in facilitating these transactions, the sources told Bloomberg.
These new sanctions could be announced as soon as this week, some of the sources added.
The U.S. had briefed European allies on the options considered, Bloomberg reported.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 15 that the Russian negotiations position "has not changed yet," and that "(Russia) wants our Donbas. And we do not want to give away our Donbas."
Zelensky's comments came following yet another round of discussions with the American negotiators, who continue to insist on the Russia-leaning peace offer.
A delegation led by Zelensky held two rounds of discussions with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on a plan for ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
"Today or tomorrow, we will finalize the documents, our own. Then the United States, I think, in the coming days will hold consultations with the Russians, and after that they will hold consultations with the president of the United States, and after that our teams will meet," Zelensky said on Dec. 15.
"I think our negotiating teams will meet in the U.S. in the near future, I think, maybe even over the weekend. And then, after, respectively, this meeting, we will see. We will think about a meeting at the level of leaders," he added.
"I think that America will put pressure with sanctions and give us more weapons if (Russia) rejects everything. I think this will be a fair request to the Americans."
