Kremlin says in ‘intensive’ dialogue with the US, including on sanctions

The Kremlin said Wednesday that it was in an “intensive” dialogue with the US, including on sanctions, after the two sides negotiated the contours of a Black Sea ceasefire alongside Ukraine.

Both Moscow and Kyiv agreed to the truce following separate talks with Washington in Saudi Arabia, but Russia said it would only enter into force once the West lifted certain sanctions affecting its agricultural exports.

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When asked about when the US might lift the sanctions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We’re continuing contacts with the US and very intensively. And we’re satisfied with how efficiently it’s going.”

“As for the Black Sea initiative, it can be activated after the fulfilment of a number of conditions,” Peskov said, referring to Russia’s demands.

Russia wants the West to lift sanctions on state-owned agricultural lender Rosselkhozbank, as well as other Russian financial institutions linked to food and fertilizers.

The White House did not mention lifting sanctions in its statement announcing the ceasefire plan, only that it would help restore “access to the world market” for Russia’s agricultural and fertilizer exports.

The West has not directly penalized Russian agriculture, but Moscow has long complained that sanctions restricting its access to shipping insurance, as well as sanctions targeting Rosselkhozbank -- which provides loans to farmers -- have frustrated its exports.

Russia also accused Ukraine on Wednesday of hitting its energy infrastructure overnight, despite Putin ordering a 30-day truce on such targets last week.

Ukraine fired drones at a “gas storage facility” in the annexed Crimean peninsula as well as a power installation in the Bryansk region, the Russian defense ministry said.

“The Kyiv regime, while continuing to damage Russia’s civilian energy infrastructure, is actually doing everything it can to disrupt the Russian-American agreements,” it wrote.

Moscow insists the 30-day truce has been in effect since March 18, but the monitoring of it is unclear and both the US and Russia have issued contradictory statements.

The US said Moscow and Kyiv had only agreed to “develop measures” towards an energy truce.

A senior Ukrainian presidential official said on Wednesday that Russia has attacked at least eight Ukrainian energy facilities since March 18 when Moscow says it halted such attacks.

Ihor Zhovkva, speaking on national television, also said that, contrary to Russian statements, no preconditions were discussed with US officials as they agreed a Black Sea truce with Russia during talks in Saudi Arabia this week.

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