US not in talks with Russia about lifting sanctions: White House advisor

Washington [US], April 22 (ANI/Sputnik)

The United States is currently not in discussions with Russia about the prospect of lifting Western sanctions imposed on Moscow, US Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh said on Thursday.

"We have channels of communication that are still open, but we're not at the point at which we're talking about sanctions relief," Singh said during a virtual panel discussion with the Bretton Woods Committee. Singh said Western sanctions will have profound impact on Russia's supply chains and its productive capacity over time, including its military industrial complex.

The advisor also said that creating leverage through sanctions matters when it comes to negotiations for a diplomatic solution in Ukraine.

Any sanctions relief talks with Russia will be led by Ukraine, not the United States, and must include certain security guarantees, Singh said.

The United States and its allies and partners have imposed a wide range of sanctions against Russian persons and entities, including banks, military industrial complex institutions, shipbuilding industry, commercial airlines, among other sectors, but have largely excluded the energy sector. This Western sanctions are in response to Russia undertaking a special military operation in Ukraine.