Russia just put a sanctions price on Ukraine's energy ceasefire

Russia just told America its price for a Ukraine energy ceasefire.

Sanctions relief.

That's according to Ukrainian and US officials who've been briefed on the talks.

So here's how we got here.

Last month, a Russian presidential envoy called Kirill Dmitriev flew to Washington. Twice.

He runs Russia's sovereign wealth fund. And he met two of Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

According to officials briefed on those meetings, Dmitriev told the Americans straight. Russia wants sanctions lifted. As part of the deal.

And that demand is sitting on the table right now. A Ukrainian delegation is meeting Trump's envoys in the US today. They're talking about an energy ceasefire. And a separate ceasefire for Black Sea shipping.

Nobody will say which sanctions Russia wants gone.

But one European diplomat, briefed on the matter, has a guess. Frozen Russian funds. Released.

And the diplomat wasn't shy about where that money would go. The diplomat says quote "the likelihood that these will be used to escalate" is almost guaranteed.

And said nobody really believes Russia wants to stick to a ceasefire at all.

So why is Washington even doing this?

Because several Ukrainian officials told the Kyiv Independent that Donald Trump wants a win before the US midterm elections. A narrow deal on energy and Black Sea shipping gets him that. Without solving the actual war.

And the actual war is stuck. Russia wants Ukrainian territory. Kyiv calls that unconstructive.

So Washington wants a narrow win. And Russia is pricing it.

Ukraine isn't paying.

Ukrainian officials say any halt to energy strikes has to go both ways. Both sides stop. No extra gifts for Moscow.

One Ukrainian official put it bluntly. The official says quote "every time negotiations begin, they come up with more and more demands."