Warming relations between Washington and Moscow may mean an end to sanctions against Russia. For some Russians, that isn’t a wholly welcome prospect.

The French president's comments echoed those by German Chancellor Merz, who said European allies would roll out "a significant tightening of sanctions" on Russia if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire.

The ultimatum from Berlin comes as Ukraine said Russia was still carrying out attacks along the front line, despite a ceasefire proposal agreed on the weekend among Kyiv's allies for a 30-day ceasefire to start Monday. The Kremlin said such an ultimatum "is unacceptable for Russia."

The new package of EU sanctions comes one day before a direct round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey. #EuropeNews

P resident Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, May 13, that he plans to end the U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria, which have been in place for over 45 years. Announcing the news on the first day of his Middle East tour, during the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, Trump said he would be lifting sanctions “in order to give them [Syria] greatness.”

President Trump said he is considering “secondary sanctions” on Russia ahead of potential high-stakes talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volydmyr Zelensky in Turkey on Thursday — and suggested he may attend the negotiations.

Also in today’s newsletter, Modi claims Indian military ‘superiority’ over Pakistan, and China’s CATL to raise at least $4bn

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The Russian economy is in an increasingly precarious state as a result of a shift to a war mode and of Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a report by the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) said on Tuesday.