The US has threatened "the toughest" sanctions against Russia.

The new sanctions the US is prepared to impose against Russia in the absence of progress in resolving the Ukrainian crisis could prove to be the harshest ever imposed, US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg stated in an interview with Fox News.

This is how he responded to a question about Washington's likely actions in the event of no progress in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

"These could be significant sanctions <…>. These sanctions are very serious. They are tougher than we've ever seen," the special envoy said.

This concerns, in particular, sanctions against the Bank of Russia and Russian oil transporters, Kellogg clarified.

On the night of May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed that Kyiv return to direct peace talks, not ruling out the possibility of agreeing on a new, "real ceasefire." Discussions could resume in Istanbul on May 15 "without preconditions" with the goal of "establishing a long-term, lasting peace with a historical perspective," he emphasized. According to Putin, their goal would be "to eliminate the root causes of the conflict."

The Kremlin announced a Russian delegation's visit to Turkey, but its composition has not yet been announced. Zelenskyy stated that he would personally await Putin's participation in these talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, commenting on the long-term ceasefire initiative, previously listed a number of questions about it. Specifically, Moscow is interested in whether arms supplies to Kyiv and the mobilization and training of Ukrainian soldiers will continue during this period. The Kremlin stated, explaining its position, that a 30-day ceasefire would give Ukraine a respite and the opportunity to rearm.

US President Donald Trump suggested he would fly to Turkey for these talks if he "deemed it useful." He also threatened to withdraw Washington's role as mediator if there was no progress in resolving the conflict.

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