At present, the top official said, it is “premature to talk about what exact sanctions lifting should be part of any deals. We just want at this moment to make sure that first Russia makes significant steps in that direction, then any discussion about the lifting of sanctions emerges.”
“We’ve seen already that the Russians are trying to ask some questions [about] if those sanctions should be lifted, at least some of them, which gives us better understanding of what sanctions are most painful,” Vlasiuk went on. “It’s always good to know what is the most painful, and we have to use this leverage wisely.”
Russian leader Vladimir Putin is understood to be increasingly concerned about the state of his country’s beleaguered economy, having lost billions in oil and gas revenues from trade with the West, and seen businesses and skilled workers leave the country since ordering his catastrophic invasion three years ago.
According to Vlasiuk, who also serves as secretary of the International Working Group on Russian Sanctions, as part of any lasting agreement — which would have to ensure security guarantees for Ukraine — Kyiv would be seeking “justice for our people,” likely including “compensation for the Ukrainians” given the scale of the sacrifices they have made.
Trump has insisted that he will bring about an end to Russia’s war, while simultaneously cutting off aid to Ukraine — and threatening Moscow with new sanctions and tariffs if it doesn’t negotiate. The White House dispatched envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow earlier this week and confirmed on Friday that he had spoken directly with Putin.
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has publicly signed up to a proposed ceasefire, but warned that Putin is not interested in peace and called for tougher economic measures to force Russia to back down.
