Russia-Ukraine peace deal at risk? Kremlin responds to new US sanctions

The Kremlin has responded to the Russia sanction bill passed by the Congress and sent it to Trump to sign into law.

On Thursday, Russia warned that if Trump signs the sanction bill against Russia, it would complicate a peace deal with Ukraine.

The remarks came following a vote on Wednesday, the US House of Representatives advanced a comprehensive sanctions bill against Russia to President Donald Trump, designed to escalate financial pressure over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The new US sanctions bill aims to cut off the financial resources funding Russia’s military campaign. The bill will impose strict sanctions on Russia’s defence and energy sectors while cracking down on the covert network of tankers used to bypass existing trade restrictions.

It also includes secondary tariffs by granting President Trump the authority to levy tariffs of up to 100 percent on nations like China and India to curb their reliance on Russian oil and gas.

"We are, of ⁠course, monitoring the progress of this document. It falls ​under the category of unfriendly actions, and of course the ​imposition of any additional sanctions by the U.S. would certainly complicate efforts to find a peace settlement in Ukraine," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov ​said.

US-led diplomatic efforts to resolve the four-and-a-half-year conflict in Ukraine have stalled for months.

However, President Donald Trump recently sent two envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv in an attempt to resume the peace process. However, no tangible breakthrough had been achieved. But sides showed willingness to get back to the table to resume the talks.