Kremlin Signals 'Lot of Work Ahead' After High-Stakes Talks as US Sanctions Force India to Abandon Russian Oil
Top US envoys left Moscow without a breakthrough on the Ukraine war resolution, confirming major hurdles remain. Simultaneously, new US sanctions have forced India's imports of Russian crude oil to drop by nearly one third.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the five-hour talks as "constructive" but confirmed no compromise was reached on core territorial issues.
Diplomacy remains stubbornly stalled. Top US envoys met with Russian President Vladimir Putin late Tuesday for high-stakes negotiations aimed at brokering a resolution to the Ukraine war, but the meeting concluded with little beyond a cautious acknowledgment that the dialogue was "constructive."
The Kremlin, speaking through state media, quickly tamped down optimism by emphasizing that a final peace plan is no closer to being secured, indicating major hurdles remain concerning territory and security guarantees.
Meanwhile, the economic squeeze continues to tighten. New data released this morning confirms that stringent US sanctions have forced major oil importers to shift suppliers. India's imports of Russian crude have fallen by nearly one-third since November, as refiners seek alternatives to avoid penalties and supply disruptions.
The dual-track approach stalled talks at the highest level while economic pressure mounts is shaping the current phase of the conflict.
"We have seen this cycle before," a senior NATO official told the Financial Times this morning. "They talk, the market moves, but nothing changes on the ground. The only thing changing is where the money is flowing."
The diplomatic community now awaits the results of a potential follow-up call between U.S. and European leaders later today to determine the next phase of sanctions policy.
