Russia interested in lifting US sanctions against oligarchs, energy exports, Zelensky's adviser says

Lifting sanctions was one of Moscow's priorities during U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian president’s commissioner for sanctions, told journalists on Feb. 28.

"Our understanding is that they are most concerned about two things. The first thing is those oligarchs who are under U.S., EU and U.K. sanctions, because this is a real problem for them. And the second thing is what prevents Russia from making money — energy (sanctions)," he said.

After the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on a number of oligarchs linked to the Kremlin. The Biden administration said that such a move would allow the seizure of yachts, money and other assets belonging to Russian oligarchs in U.S. jurisdiction.

In early February, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the U.S. Justice Department is shutting down a program that sanctioned Kremlin-linked oligarchs, launched in 2022. The Biden-era task force seized assets worth about $700 million as of February 2024.

At the technical level, Kyiv continues to cooperate with Washington on further sanctions against Russia.

Vlasiuk said that the U.S. has a "good appetite" for continuing work on sanctions against Russia's "shadow fleet," a group of aging tankers routinely used for sanction evasion, as well as "everything related to critical components."

The European Union, the U.K., and the U.S. have slapped sanctions on oil-carrying vessels of Russia's so-called shadow fleet. Ukraine imposed sanctions on Russian "shadow fleet" captains, targeting Russian citizens and one Iranian national engaged in illicit oil exports through ship-to-ship transfers and other methods to bypass price caps.

Drones and missiles used by Russia in its daily attacks on Ukraine contain tens of thousands of Western components, according to Ukrainian officials. Moscow continues to avoid sanctions through the use of sanctions evasion networks and shell companies and is also aided in sanctions evasion through its allies, including China, Iran, and North Korea.

Washington is less eager for new individual and financial sanctions against Russia, Vlasiuk said.

Europe is sitting on Russia’s $198 billion. Giving it all to Ukraine is tricky

Europe has been left scrambling to find ways to boost defense spending and continue the flow of support to Ukraine after U.S. President Donald Trump made clear the continent won’t be able to rely on Washington for its long-term security needs. The latest reports suggest that EU officials are

The Kyiv IndependentAlex Cadier