On September 5, representatives from the Trump administration, including Treasury official Lang, arrived in Moscow, a move indicating that U.S. sanctions against Russia were part of discussions between the parties, according to the article’s author.
Reports noted that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bassett met with his Russian counterpart during the G20 finance ministers’ meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, last week, where he emphasized that the United States would not provide economic assistance to Russia until it ends its war against Ukraine.
It is likely that Lang participated in a “business lunch” with Putin’s negotiator, Kirill Dmitriev, which Russian state media reported lasted three and a half hours. In contrast, the meeting with Kremlin chief, as stated by his aide Yuri Ushakov, was 20 minutes shorter.
A White House official told the media that alongside Vitkoff, Kushner, and Putin, representatives from the National Security Council, the State Department, and the Treasury were present at the meeting. They discussed significant plans for next steps to be announced in the coming weeks and looked forward to similarly productive discussions scheduled for tomorrow in Ukraine.
During the Americans’ visit, Russia and Ukraine agreed not to strike Moscow and Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned a ceasefire arrangement from Saturday to Monday, while the Kremlin emphasized that Russia had not agreed to a broader three-day ceasefire with Ukraine. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov earlier stated that Putin had allegedly ordered no airstrikes on Kyiv from midnight September 5 for three days.
The day prior, Trump announced that his representatives were heading to Moscow and Kyiv to attempt to negotiate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Vitkoff and Kushner have previously visited Moscow multiple times without ever visiting the Ukrainian capital. Their scheduled visit to Kyiv on September 6 will mark their first trip there.
Context
- The U.S. Senate held debates regarding a bill proposing so-called hellish sanctions against Russia, initiated by the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. Senators supported the legislation, defeating an amendment that posed a critical threat to the bill. However, it still needs to be reviewed by the House of Representatives, which is currently on recess, and its passage may not be as swift as in the Senate.
- The document outlines sanctions against Russian officials, their family members, and oligarchs, while granting the U.S. President powers to impose 500% tariffs on Russian oil, gas, petroleum products, petrochemicals, and coal. Secondary tariffs of up to 100% are stipulated for countries purchasing Russian energy resources or aiding in circumventing sanctions.
