The Kremlin is reportedly trying to strike a deal with the Trump administration that would see a relaxation of U.S. sanctions on Russia, with Moscow offering the prospect of a ceasefire in Ukraine as leverage, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
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According to reporting by RBC-Ukraine, which cites a well-informed source within the Ukrainian government, one possible scenario is that a temporary truce could be used as a pretext for the partial lifting of sanctions.
The reported proposal involves a short-term cessation of hostilities-perhaps lasting for a week-during which the Russian side expects the U.S. to remove some restrictions.
“America would get headlines about calm on the front lines, while Putin would gain partial sanction relief and substantial financial benefits,” the source told RBC-Ukraine.
The source emphasized there would be no meaningful security guarantees for Ukraine under such an arrangement and noted the Ukrainian government finds this scenario unacceptable.
These alleged discussions are linked to U.S. domestic politics, particularly the upcoming Congressional elections, according to the source.
As a precedent, the source pointed to Belarus, where President Alexander Lukashenko reportedly promised to release some political prisoners in exchange for a gradual easing of U.S. sanctions, but failed to implement real political changes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with Bloomberg, has previously suggested that such scenarios might be possible. Zelensky stated that Russia might propose a ceasefire in exchange for lifting restrictions on select companies or restoring Russian banks’ access to the SWIFT system.
