The United States does not rule out imposing new sanctions on Russia to achieve peace in Ukraine
US Vice President JD Vance acknowledges that there have been developments on both sides towards a ceasefire and rules out the presence of US troops in Ukraine
- Threat of sanctions against Russia
- The US will not send troops
- Trump congratulates Zelensky
- Russia shoots down Ukrainian drones
US Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday, 24 August, that his country has not ruled out imposing new sanctions on Russia to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
According to Vance, ‘sanctions are not off the table, but we will make these decisions on a case-by-case basis.’ For the vice president, "we have pushed for a ceasefire, but we do not control what Russia does. If we did, the war would have ended seven months ago. However, we believe we still have many cards to play to press and try to end this conflict, and that is what we are going to do.‘
Vance also acknowledged that ’there have been some significant concessions by both sides, just in the last few weeks."
Threat of sanctions against Russia
In recent days, US President Donald Trump himself had also reiterated his threat of new sanctions against Russia, a week after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war.
It should be remembered that since the Russian army invaded Ukraine, the United States has imposed several waves of sanctions on the Russian government, companies and citizens.
The latest package of sanctions was imposed on 10 January to cut Russia's revenues from oil and gas sales. The US Treasury imposed sanctions on Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, which explore, produce and sell oil, and on a total of 183 vessels transporting Russian oil, many of which are part of the so-called shadow fleet of ageing tankers operated by non-Western companies, dedicated to selling both Russian and Iranian oil, circumventing US sanctions.
The sanctions caused serious disruption to Russian oil exports to India and China, its main customers, causing monthly losses of billions of dollars.
The US will not send troops
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance reiterated that security guarantees for Ukraine will not include the presence of US troops on the ground: ‘The president [Trump] has been very clear: there will be no US troops in Ukraine, but we will continue to play an active role in ensuring that Ukrainians have the security and confidence they need to stop the war.’
Despite the diplomatic efforts of the Trump administration over the past week, with meetings between Trump, Putin and Zelensky, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ruled out the possibility of a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents in the near future to discuss a possible ceasefire.
Trump congratulates Zelensky
For his part, US President Donald Trump reiterated on Sunday his support for a ‘negotiated solution leading to lasting peace in Ukraine.’
Trump sent this message in a letter to Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.
In the letter, Trump states that ‘the people of Ukraine have an unbreakable spirit and the courage of your country inspires many. As you celebrate this important day, know that the United States respects your struggle, honours your sacrifices and believes in your future as an independent nation.’
The letter concludes by saying that ‘now is the time to end the senseless killing. The United States supports a negotiated solution that leads to lasting peace, ends the bloodshed, and safeguards Ukraine's sovereignty and dignity.’
Russia shoots down Ukrainian drones
According to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defence, on the evening of Sunday, 24 August, Russian air defences shot down 21 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over various regions of the country, including Moscow, where two of the downed drones were headed.
On the morning of the same day, 24 August, another 10 Ukrainian drones were shot down near the terminal of the Russian gas company NOVATEK, near the mouth of the Luga River in the Gulf of Finland, 900 kilometres from the nearest Ukrainian border.
According to the Leningrad regional authority, debris from one of the downed drones caused a fire at the NOVATEK terminal, but no casualties or damage to fuel depots were reported.