The backdrop of these negotiations is closely tied to the political climate in the United States and Russia. Trump, aiming to bolster his image as a global negotiator in an election year, has tried to project this development as a diplomatic achievement of his administration.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday that interactions between the United States and Russia showed Moscow had not given up its territorial goals in Ukraine, and that appeasing it would send a dangerous signal.

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.

James Kabarebe, a former army chief, has been sanctioned for his alleged role in the DR Congo conflict The Rwandan government has condemned the US decision to sanction a government minister for his alleged role in the conflict in the east of neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.