Negotiations
US reportedly preparing sanctions relief
The White House has asked the State and Treasury departments to develop a plan for how the US can ease its sanctions against Russia. This is reported by Reuters.
Lifting the sanctions is seen as a move to improve relations with the Kremlin and end the war in Ukraine. There are no plans to lift all sanctions, but the proposal that is being developed targets certain actors, individuals and oligarchs.
It is not clear from the information what the US wants in exchange for lifting the sanctions.
According to information to both the German Bild and the Financial Times, the US is participating in secret meetings with Russian representatives for the possible reconstruction of the Russian-German Nord Stream gas pipeline. The Financial Times writes that the US needs to lift its sanctions against the Russian energy sector to enable such an agreement.
US reportedly preparing sanctions relief
The White House has asked the State and Treasury departments to develop a plan for how the US can ease its sanctions against Russia. This is reported by Reuters.
Lifting the sanctions is seen as a move to improve relations with the Kremlin and end the war in Ukraine. There are no plans to lift all sanctions, but the proposal that is being developed targets certain actors, individuals and oligarchs.
It is not clear from the information what the US wants in exchange for lifting the sanctions.
According to information to both the German Bild and the Financial Times, the US is participating in secret meetings with Russian representatives for the possible reconstruction of the Russian-German Nord Stream gas pipeline. The Financial Times writes that the US needs to lift its sanctions against the Russian energy sector to enable such an agreement.
Trump's three demands for continued talks: Apology, minerals and peace talks
To resume talks with the White House, Volodymyr Zelensky must meet three demands. White House national security adviser Mike Waltz told Fox News.
They want Zelensky to publicly apologize for the row in the White House, sign the minerals agreement with the United States and participate in peace negotiations.
- I don't think we're asking for too much, he says.
A senior White House source told the channel that negotiations on Ukraine's rare earth metals have been put on hold until Zelensky publicly apologizes for the row in the White House.
Donald Trump said on Monday evening that he does not believe the minerals agreement is "dead".
- I'll give an update tomorrow night, he said, according to Reuters.
To resume talks with the White House, Volodymyr Zelensky must meet three demands. White House national security adviser Mike Waltz told Fox News.
They want Zelensky to publicly apologize for the row in the White House, sign the minerals agreement with the United States and participate in peace negotiations.
- I don't think we're asking for too much, he says.
A senior White House source told the channel that negotiations on Ukraine's rare earth metals have been put on hold until Zelensky publicly apologizes for the row in the White House.
Donald Trump said on Monday evening that he does not believe the minerals agreement is "dead".
- I'll give an update tomorrow night, he said, according to Reuters.
Trump: The worst thing Zelensky could have said
Volodymyr Zelensky's statement that a peace deal with Russia is "a long way off" is the worst thing he could have said. Donald Trump writes on Truth Social.
"And the US is not going to put up with it much longer. This is exactly what I mean, this guy does not want peace as long as he has the backing of the US and Europe," Trump continues.
Zelensky's comment came as he was on his way home from the summit in London on Sunday. He added that he believes the US will continue to offer them support and that the relationship with Washington can be repaired.
"At the meeting, they said bluntly that they can't do anything without the support of the US," Trump writes about the security meeting in London.
Zelenskyy’s Response: “We Need Real Peace”
Shortly after Donald Trump’s new attack on Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president writes on X that Ukraine needs “real peace.”
“That’s what Ukrainians want most of all, because the war is destroying our cities and villages,” he writes on X.
On his way home from the summit in London, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is “very, very far away” from a peace agreement with Russia. This prompted Trump to attack and claim that Zelenskyy does not want peace.
Zelenskyy writes in his post that he wants peace as soon as possible, but that Ukraine needs security guarantees from the United States to achieve it.
Volodymyr Zelensky's statement that a peace deal with Russia is "a long way off" is the worst thing he could have said. Donald Trump writes on Truth Social.
"And the US is not going to put up with it much longer. This is exactly what I mean, this guy does not want peace as long as he has the backing of the US and Europe," Trump continues.
Zelensky's comment came as he was on his way home from the summit in London on Sunday. He added that he believes the US will continue to offer them support and that the relationship with Washington can be repaired.
"At the meeting, they said bluntly that they can't do anything without the support of the US," Trump writes about the security meeting in London.
Zelenskyy’s Response: “We Need Real Peace”
Shortly after Donald Trump’s new attack on Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president writes on X that Ukraine needs “real peace.”
“That’s what Ukrainians want most of all, because the war is destroying our cities and villages,” he writes on X.
On his way home from the summit in London, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is “very, very far away” from a peace agreement with Russia. This prompted Trump to attack and claim that Zelenskyy does not want peace.
Zelenskyy writes in his post that he wants peace as soon as possible, but that Ukraine needs security guarantees from the United States to achieve it.
The world's response
Trump: No talk of cutting off aid to Ukraine
Donald Trump says he has not discussed cutting off military aid to Ukraine, AFP reports.
- We haven't even had that discussion. We'll see what happens. There's a lot going on right now, literally as we speak, he says at a press conference.
Earlier on Monday, sources told the New York Times that Trump would gather his closest associates and that cutting off military aid to Ukraine was on the agenda.
EU leaders change tack - could seize Russian assets
France and Germany have long been opposed to fully seizing frozen Russian assets. But in talks about a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, EU countries are now opening up to using the frozen funds to buy American weapons for Ukraine, the Financial Times reports.
Since the outbreak of the war, European countries have frozen Russian assets worth around 300 billion euros. So far, the proceeds have been used to repay arms aid to Ukraine. But several countries have advocated going further than that and confiscating the assets altogether.
After Trump threatened to withhold aid to Ukraine if the country does not agree to a deal with Russia, EU countries that want to use the frozen assets have gained momentum.
“More and more are willing to use it as a leverage,” a source with insight into the European countries’ negotiations tells the Financial Times.
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