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Russia is demanding sanctions relief from the U.S. as part of negotiations over a possible energy ceasefire with Ukraine and is seeking to link the proposal to a halt in fighting in the Black Sea, according to an exclusive report by The Kyiv Independent.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials familiar with the talks said Moscow had privately signaled willingness to consider stopping attacks on energy infrastructure, even as Russia intensified strikes on Ukraine’s power system.
A senior Ukrainian defense official said Russia was seeking to inflict as much damage as possible before negotiations to strengthen its leverage.
Kyiv has been experiencing daily blackouts, and a Russian attack on Oct. 8 caused widespread power outages across the Ukrainian capital, home to more than 3 million people.
Publicly, Russia has shown little willingness to support an energy ceasefire.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Oct. 8 that Moscow saw no reason to negotiate a sectoral ceasefire.
“Kyiv is not currently proposing a long-term settlement, but rather a ceasefire in an area that is its Achilles’ heel — the energy sector,” Peskov said.
Privately, however, Russian officials have indicated they could consider an agreement, two Ukrainian officials and one U.S. official told The Kyiv Independent.
Three people familiar with the negotiations said Moscow was demanding sanctions relief as part of any deal.
The U.S. has been pressing both Russia and Ukraine to stop attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure, making an energy ceasefire one of the main issues in ongoing negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump is also seeking to show progress on Ukraine before the U.S. midterm elections, several Ukrainian officials told the outlet.
After a recent trip to Russia, Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner returned believing that an energy ceasefire could be possible.
Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev also traveled to the U.S. twice in September for talks with Witkoff and Kushner, during which he said Russia wanted sanctions relief as part of an agreement.
It remains unclear which sanctions Moscow wants lifted.
A European diplomat briefed on the discussions said Russia could be seeking the release of frozen Russian funds.
“If they get sanctioned funds released … the likelihood that these will be used to escalate (war) is almost guaranteed,” the diplomat said.
“No one really thinks they are genuinely seeking to adhere to a ceasefire.”
Ukrainian officials confirmed Russia’s sanctions demand but said they did not know which restrictions Moscow wanted removed.
A Ukrainian delegation is due to meet Trump’s envoys in the U.S. on Oct. 9 to discuss proposals for an energy and Black Sea ceasefire.
The delegation is expected to receive a briefing on U.S.-Russia discussions and seek clarification about Moscow’s demand for sanctions relief.
Asked Oct. 8 about economic agreements between Washington and Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv “knows a lot” but was not prepared to discuss the issue publicly.
“I’m not ready to talk about it publicly or in detail,” Zelensky told reporters.
Ukraine opposes granting Russia economic benefits in exchange for an energy ceasefire.
Kyiv’s position is that any halt to attacks on energy infrastructure should be reciprocal, with both sides stopping strikes rather than Russia receiving additional concessions.
“Every time negotiations begin, they come up with more and more demands,” one Ukrainian official briefed on the talks told The Kyiv Independent.
Wider negotiations remain deadlocked over Russian territorial demands, which Ukraine considers unconstructive.
Washington is now pursuing a narrower agreement covering energy infrastructure and Black Sea shipping that could show progress without resolving the broader issues in the war.
Kyiv still hopes the discussions could lead to a trilateral meeting involving Russian representatives.
When Zelensky met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Kyiv on Oct. 4, Witkoff messaged him saying Washington wanted such a meeting in late October. Zelensky replied that Ukraine would support it.
Before assessing the prospects for an agreement, Ukrainian officials want clarity on what Moscow is demanding and whether Russia is willing to stop attacks without receiving further benefits in return.
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