Russia doesn’t view sanctions relief as a critical factor in negotiations to end the war and isn’t expecting any significant easing of US penalties, according to a person close to the Kremlin.

Russia could win some relief from U.S. sanctions based on its willingness to negotiate an end to its war in Ukraine, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg Television in an interview on Thursday.

European Union envoys have approved new sanctions against Russia, with the measures set to enter into force next week on the third anniversary of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine

The US signaled that sanctions relief for Russia could be on the table in talks over the war in Ukraine as President Donald Trump rushes toward a deal to end the three-year conflict.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg Television on Thursday that Russia’s willingness to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine could lead to Washington easing some sanctions. Bessent further stated that he would be urging China to rebalance its economy towards increased consumer spending in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on

Bessent also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent comments that former U.S. President Donald Trump is misinformed about the war, calling them “inappropriate” and arguing they created “daylight” in U.