US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday kicked off high-stakes talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida, as the United States pushes to end Russia's war against its neighbour.&nbsp;"This is not just about peace deals. It's about creating a pathway forward that leaves Ukraine sovereign, independent and prosperous," Rubio said at the start of the meeting.&nbsp;US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were also attending the meeting.&nbsp;The Ukrainian delegation was led by security council secretary Rustem Umerov.&nbsp;"We are discussing about the future of Ukraine, about the security of Ukraine, about no non-repetition of aggression of Ukraine, about prosperity of Ukraine, about how to rebuild Ukraine," Umerov said as the talks kicked off.&nbsp;In a separate post on the platform X, Umerov said he was in "constant contact" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as the meeting progressed.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/netanyahu-seeks-pardon-in-corruption-cases-writes-to-israeli-president-after-trump-s-request-fails-gaza-palestine-donald-trump-bibi-modi-1764513740991">Netanyahu seeks pardon in corruption cases; writes to Israeli President after Trump’s request fails</a>&nbsp;"We have clear directives and priorities: safeguarding Ukrainian interests, ensuring substantive dialogue, and advancing on the basis of the progress achieved in Geneva," he wrote on X.&nbsp;"We are working to secure real peace for Ukraine and reliable, long-term security guarantees. The delegation will report to the President of Ukraine following the conclusion of today’s meetings."&nbsp;The Florida talks are expected to build on negotiations a week ago in Geneva between Americans, Ukrainians and Europeans.&nbsp;Washington has put forward a plan to end the more than three-year conflict that it is seeking to finalise with Moscow and Kyiv's approval.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/should-us-end-h-1b-programme-know-what-elon-musk-thinks-about-indian-immigrants-donald-trump-elon-musk-tesla-immigration-indian-immigration-us-1764519420595">Should US end H-1B programme? Know what Elon Musk thinks about Indian immigrants</a>&nbsp;An initial 28-point proposal -- drafted without input from Ukraine's European allies -- would have seen Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognise the Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk regions as Russian.&nbsp;The United States pared back the original draft following criticism from Kyiv and Europe, but the current contents remain unclear.&nbsp;The US talks come amid turbulence for Zelensky and his government -- a blockbuster corruption probe forced him to sack his chief of staff and top negotiator, Andriy Yermak, on Friday.

Trump has put forward a plan to end the more than three-year conflict, which he aims to finalise with the approval of both Moscow and Kyiv.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday kicked off high-stakes talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida, as the United States pushes to end Russia's war against its neighbour. "This is not just about peace deals. It's about creating a pathway forward that leaves Ukraine sovereign, independent and prosperous," Rubio said at the start of the meeting. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were also attending the meeting. The Ukrainian delegation was led by security council secretary Rustem Umerov. "We are discussing about the future of Ukraine, about the security of Ukraine, about no non-repetition of aggression of Ukraine, about prosperity of Ukraine, about how to rebuild Ukraine," Umerov said as the talks kicked off. In a separate post on the platform X, Umerov said he was in "constant contact" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as the meeting progressed. Also Read: Netanyahu seeks pardon in corruption cases; writes to Israeli President after Trump’s request fails "We have clear directives and priorities: safeguarding Ukrainian interests, ensuring substantive dialogue, and advancing on the basis of the progress achieved in Geneva," he wrote on X. "We are working to secure real peace for Ukraine and reliable, long-term security guarantees. The delegation will report to the President of Ukraine following the conclusion of today’s meetings." The Florida talks are expected to build on negotiations a week ago in Geneva between Americans, Ukrainians and Europeans. Washington has put forward a plan to end the more than three-year conflict that it is seeking to finalise with Moscow and Kyiv's approval. Also Read: Should US end H-1B programme? Know what Elon Musk thinks about Indian immigrants An initial 28-point proposal -- drafted without input from Ukraine's European allies -- would have seen Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognise the Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk regions as Russian. The United States pared back the original draft following criticism from Kyiv and Europe, but the current contents remain unclear. The US talks come amid turbulence for Zelensky and his government -- a blockbuster corruption probe forced him to sack his chief of staff and top negotiator, Andriy Yermak, on Friday.

Trump has put forward a plan to end the more than three-year conflict, which he aims to finalise with the approval of both Moscow and Kyiv.

Russia–Ukraine war: Zelensky’s team, US officials hold peace talks in Florida

An estimated 48 million barrels of cheap crude – many originally headed to India or China – are stranded at sea as US sanctions on Russian oil linked to the Ukraine war take effect, reports said on Friday (Nov 21). The move will affect India, one of the key buyers of Russian crude. Here is why it matters.<h2>US sanctions Russia’s biggest oil producers</h2>The US sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil took effect on Friday. These two Russian giants account for between 50 and 70 per cent of Russia’s seaborne crude exports, amounting to roughly 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd). The sanctions include full blocking, freezing US-linked assets of these companies, and barring transactions with US-linked firms. Global buyers such as India and China face secondary sanctions if they continue collecting these cargoes after the wind-down deadline.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/has-india-s-modi-promised-us-it-will-no-longer-buy-russian-oil-here-s-what-trump-claims-1760574591627">Did Modi promise US that India will no longer buy Russian oil? Here's what Trump claims</a><h2>Stranded cargoes, the immediate fallout visible at sea</h2>According to analytics firm Kpler, nearly 48 million barrels of Rosneft and Lukoil crude across around 50 tankers are now loaded, in transit, or delayed, Bloomberg reported. This equals almost two weeks of exports from the sanctioned firms. The oil is stranded in regions ranging from the Baltic and Black Sea to the Pacific. Many ports and refiners have refused to unload the cargoes after the sanctions deadline passed. Possible outcomes now include rerouting, ship-to-ship transfers, or extended floating storage.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/u-s-sanctions-choke-russian-global-oil-supply-flows-plunge-1763698119913/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/u-s-sanctions-choke-russian-global-oil-supply-flows-plunge-1763698119913/embed</a><h2>Sanctions have hit Russian oil prices and revenue</h2>Russian oil prices have struggled in recent months, with the Urals crude trading at a 19–30 dollar discount to Brent crude. Some Urals spot sales are now at 36–47 dollars per barrel, compared with 62–65 dollars for Brent. This has sharply squeezed Russia’s per-barrel revenue. Buyers willing to take the risk are demanding larger discounts because of the sanctions environment. Russia has kept seaborne loadings near 3.4 million bpd, but unloading delays mean a growing share of exports is stuck offshore. As per a JPMorgan estimate, nearly 1.4 million bpd are effectively in floating storage. Prolonged delays could force Russia to cut production if storage fills beyond capacity. Oil and gas account for 40–50 per cent of Russia’s federal budget, and October energy-related tax revenues were already down more than 24 per cent on year.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-claims-india-halting-russian-oil-purchases-completely-days-after-speaking-to-pm-modi-1761471408478">Trump claims 'India halting Russian oil purchases completely,' days after speaking to PM Modi</a><h2>Impact on India, the key buyer of Russian oil</h2>Despite trimming some volumes, India remains among the most exposed buyers of Russian crude. In 2025, India is estimated to have imported 1.7–2 million bpd of Russian oil, accounting for as much as 40 per cent of its total crude imports. Cheap Russian supply helped India stabilise domestic fuel prices, but that advantage is now under strain. Major refiners, including the state-run Indian Oil Corporation, have already halted or cancelled December and January purchases from Rosneft and Lukoil. Some of the currently stranded tankers were India-bound, but cannot unload. India is turning to Middle Eastern and US suppliers, pushing freight rates to five-year highs and increasing overall import costs for the country. The shift could raise India’s import bill and narrow its refinery margins. Petrol and diesel prices may rise if higher costs persist. Some Russian flows might resume indirectly or via unsanctioned producers, but the period of reliably cheap Russian crude appears to be ending.

US sanctions on Russian oil giants are in effect now, stranding 48 million barrels of cheap Russian crude at sea. This could drive fuel prices up for India. Here is what you should know

An estimated 48 million barrels of cheap crude – many originally headed to India or China – are stranded at sea as US sanctions on Russian oil linked to the Ukraine war take effect, reports said on Friday (Nov 21). The move will affect India, one of the key buyers of Russian crude. Here is why it matters. US sanctions Russia’s biggest oil producers The US sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil took effect on Friday. These two Russian giants account for between 50 and 70 per cent of Russia’s seaborne crude exports, amounting to roughly 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd). The sanctions include full blocking, freezing US-linked assets of these companies, and barring transactions with US-linked firms. Global buyers such as India and China face secondary sanctions if they continue collecting these cargoes after the wind-down deadline. Also read: Did Modi promise US that India will no longer buy Russian oil? Here's what Trump claims Stranded cargoes, the immediate fallout visible at sea According to analytics firm Kpler, nearly 48 million barrels of Rosneft and Lukoil crude across around 50 tankers are now loaded, in transit, or delayed, Bloomberg reported. This equals almost two weeks of exports from the sanctioned firms. The oil is stranded in regions ranging from the Baltic and Black Sea to the Pacific. Many ports and refiners have refused to unload the cargoes after the sanctions deadline passed. Possible outcomes now include rerouting, ship-to-ship transfers, or extended floating storage. https://www.wionews.com/videos/u-s-sanctions-choke-russian-global-oil-supply-flows-plunge-1763698119913/embed Sanctions have hit Russian oil prices and revenue Russian oil prices have struggled in recent months, with the Urals crude trading at a 19–30 dollar discount to Brent crude. Some Urals spot sales are now at 36–47 dollars per barrel, compared with 62–65 dollars for Brent. This has sharply squeezed Russia’s per-barrel revenue. Buyers willing to take the risk are demanding larger discounts because of the sanctions environment. Russia has kept seaborne loadings near 3.4 million bpd, but unloading delays mean a growing share of exports is stuck offshore. As per a JPMorgan estimate, nearly 1.4 million bpd are effectively in floating storage. Prolonged delays could force Russia to cut production if storage fills beyond capacity. Oil and gas account for 40–50 per cent of Russia’s federal budget, and October energy-related tax revenues were already down more than 24 per cent on year. Also read: Trump claims 'India halting Russian oil purchases completely,' days after speaking to PM Modi Impact on India, the key buyer of Russian oil Despite trimming some volumes, India remains among the most exposed buyers of Russian crude. In 2025, India is estimated to have imported 1.7–2 million bpd of Russian oil, accounting for as much as 40 per cent of its total crude imports. Cheap Russian supply helped India stabilise domestic fuel prices, but that advantage is now under strain. Major refiners, including the state-run Indian Oil Corporation, have already halted or cancelled December and January purchases from Rosneft and Lukoil. Some of the currently stranded tankers were India-bound, but cannot unload. India is turning to Middle Eastern and US suppliers, pushing freight rates to five-year highs and increasing overall import costs for the country. The shift could raise India’s import bill and narrow its refinery margins. Petrol and diesel prices may rise if higher costs persist. Some Russian flows might resume indirectly or via unsanctioned producers, but the period of reliably cheap Russian crude appears to be ending.

US sanctions on Russian oil giants are in effect now, stranding 48 million barrels of cheap Russian crude at sea. This could drive fuel prices up for India. Here is what you should know

48 million barrels of cheap crude stranded at sea as US sanctions on Russian oil kicks in. How India will be hit

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev lashed new US sanctions as a &quot;full-fledged economic war&quot; on Moscow, saying they crushed hopes for repairing ties and demonstrated President Donald Trump&#39;s &quot;total weakness ... in the most humiliating way.&quot;

Trump reluctantly signed off on the new sanctions Wednesday, bowing to domestic pressure after the White House failed to scupper the bill or water it down.

Medvedev warned the move would have &quot;consequences&quot;, saying &quot;it ends hopes for improving our relations with the new US administration.&quot;

&quot;Second, it is a declaration of a full-fledged economic war on Russia,&quot; Medvedev said on his Facebook page.

Taunting the notoriously thin-skinned US president, Medvedev added: &quot;The Trump administration has shown its total weakness by handing over executive power to Congress in the most humiliating way&quot;.

Trump signed the legislation behind closed doors and his reluctance was on full display in an angry signing statement in which he called the legislation &quot;significantly flawed.&quot;

&quot;In its haste to pass this legislation, the Congress included a number of clearly unconstitutional provisions,&quot; he said, including curbs on the president&#39;s ability to &quot;negotiate&quot; with Russia.

&quot;I built a truly great company worth many billions of dollars. That is a big part of the reason I was elected. As president, I can make far better deals with foreign countries than Congress,&quot; Trump claimed.

The legislation - which also includes measures against North Korea and Iran - targets the Russian energy sector, giving Washington the ability to impose sanctions on companies involved in developing Russian pipelines, and placing curbs on some Russian weapons exporters.

Iran, too, reacted angrily, saying the new sanctions against it &quot;violated&quot; its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, and warned it would respond &quot;appropriately.&quot;

With regards to Russia, the sanctions notably constrains Trump&#39;s ability to waive the penalties - a statement of mistrust from the Republican-controlled Congress, which remains unsettled by Trump&#39;s warm words for President Vladimir Putin.

In his statement, Trump said: &quot;The Framers of our Constitution put foreign affairs in the hands of the President. This bill will prove the wisdom of that choice.&quot;

In a searing rebuttal, maverick Republican Senator John McCain said: &quot;The framers of our constitution made the Congress and the President coequal branches of government. This bill has already proven the wisdom of that choice.&quot;

&quot;I hope the president will be as vocal about Russia&#39;s aggressive behaviour as he was about his concerns with this legislation.&quot;

The sanctions seek to penalise the Kremlin for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and for Russia&#39;s annexation of Crimea.

&nbsp;

The Russian Prime Minister said the new sanctions end hopes of improving relations with the new US administration

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev lashed new US sanctions as a "full-fledged economic war" on Moscow, saying they crushed hopes for repairing ties and demonstrated President Donald Trump's "total weakness ... in the most humiliating way." Trump reluctantly signed off on the new sanctions Wednesday, bowing to domestic pressure after the White House failed to scupper the bill or water it down. Medvedev warned the move would have "consequences", saying "it ends hopes for improving our relations with the new US administration." "Second, it is a declaration of a full-fledged economic war on Russia," Medvedev said on his Facebook page. Taunting the notoriously thin-skinned US president, Medvedev added: "The Trump administration has shown its total weakness by handing over executive power to Congress in the most humiliating way". Trump signed the legislation behind closed doors and his reluctance was on full display in an angry signing statement in which he called the legislation "significantly flawed." "In its haste to pass this legislation, the Congress included a number of clearly unconstitutional provisions," he said, including curbs on the president's ability to "negotiate" with Russia. "I built a truly great company worth many billions of dollars. That is a big part of the reason I was elected. As president, I can make far better deals with foreign countries than Congress," Trump claimed. The legislation - which also includes measures against North Korea and Iran - targets the Russian energy sector, giving Washington the ability to impose sanctions on companies involved in developing Russian pipelines, and placing curbs on some Russian weapons exporters. Iran, too, reacted angrily, saying the new sanctions against it "violated" its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, and warned it would respond "appropriately." With regards to Russia, the sanctions notably constrains Trump's ability to waive the penalties - a statement of mistrust from the Republican-controlled Congress, which remains unsettled by Trump's warm words for President Vladimir Putin. In his statement, Trump said: "The Framers of our Constitution put foreign affairs in the hands of the President. This bill will prove the wisdom of that choice." In a searing rebuttal, maverick Republican Senator John McCain said: "The framers of our constitution made the Congress and the President coequal branches of government. This bill has already proven the wisdom of that choice." "I hope the president will be as vocal about Russia's aggressive behaviour as he was about his concerns with this legislation." The sanctions seek to penalise the Kremlin for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and for Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Russia lashes out at new US sanctions, calls them 'full-fledged economic war'

Moscow and the European Union hit out at the United States on Wednesday after an overwhelming vote by the House of Representatives to impose new sanctions on Russia left President Donald Trump facing a tough call.&nbsp;

The package, which targets Russia, Iran and North Korea, &quot;tightens the screws on our most dangerous adversaries in order to keep Americans safe,&quot; House Speaker Paul Ryan said after it passed on Tuesday by 419 votes to three.

It now heads to the Senate before Trump faces the tricky choice of whether to veto the bill, which has been opposed by the White House and considerably constrains his ability to lift the penalties.

While Moscow and Tehran raised the prospect of retaliation over any fresh punitive measures, the EU also warned it was &quot;ready to act to protect European interests&quot; if the legislation hit dealings with the Russian energy sector. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The US bill was the result of a congressional compromise aimed at punishing the Kremlin for allegedly interfering in the 2016 US presidential election and intervening in Ukraine.

Key among the provisions is one that handcuffs Trump by complicating any unilateral efforts to ease santions against Moscow in future -- effectively placing him under Congress&#39;s watch.

&quot;Left unchecked, Russia is sure to continue its aggression,&quot; House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce said, applauding the bill&#39;s backing.

Sanctions &#39;will not go unanswered&#39;&nbsp;

Despite initially opposing the bill, Trump appears to have few options in the face of near-total consensus in Congress, with a decision likely due by mid-August.

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the White House was still &quot;reviewing the House legislation and awaits a final legislative package for the president&#39;s desk&quot;.

But even if Trump were to veto the legislation, Congress would likely be able to overcome such a blockage with a two-thirds majority in each chamber.

Moscow responded angrily to the vote, with deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov insisting Washington had been warned &quot;dozens of times&quot; that any new sanctions would &quot;not go unanswered&quot;.

&quot;The authors and sponsors of this bill are taking a very serious step towards destroying the possibilities for normalising relations with Russia,&quot; he told state-run TASS news agency.&nbsp;

Ties between Moscow and Washington have been at their lowest point since the Cold War since the US began slapping sanctions on Russia after its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Trump repeatedly pledged to improve relations during his campaign, raising the prospect that he could roll back the Obama-era punishments.

Since then, accusations from US intelligence that the Kremlin meddled in the vote to get Trump elected have made any softening of the stance on Russia politically toxic.

The bill also includes fresh sanctions against Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which stands accused of supporting terrorism, and North Korea, for its missile tests, are also included.&nbsp;

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would respond in kind to any breach by the US of the 2015 nuclear deal after the vote.

The Iranian parliament&#39;s national security and foreign affairs committee said it would hold an extraordinary session on Saturday to discuss its response.

European &#39;concerns

In a rare feat, the US vote has also managed to upset European Union nations worried that it could damage their energy interests.

European commissioners, the EU executive&#39;s top officials, &quot;expressed their concerns notably because of the draft bill&#39;s possible impact on EU energy independence,&quot; the bloc said in a statement following talks in Brussels on Wednesday.

In an apparent concession, the House modified a provision so the bill only targets pipelines originating in Russia, sparing those that merely pass through, such as the Caspian pipeline that carries oil from Kazakhstan to Europe.

But Brussels worries that the fresh wave of measures could end up penalising European firms that contribute to the development of Russia&#39;s energy sector.

&quot;Depending on its implementation, this could affect infrastructure transporting energy resources to Europe,&quot; including those transiting through Ukraine, the EU said in a statement.&nbsp;

Brussels also decried the sanctions bill as a unilateral action by Washington that disrupted previous close cooperation on measures against Russia, which took a toll on its economy.&nbsp;

The EU and US imposed the punishment after Russia&#39;s annexation of Crimea, before Moscow was later accused of backing a separatist insurgency to halt Ukraine&#39;s pivot to the West.&nbsp;

The two sides later imposed broader economic sanctions after the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in July 2014, which international investigators say was downed by a Russian missile fired from rebel-held territory.&nbsp;

The US vote has managed to upset European Union nations worried that it could damage their energy interests

Moscow and the European Union hit out at the United States on Wednesday after an overwhelming vote by the House of Representatives to impose new sanctions on Russia left President Donald Trump facing a tough call. The package, which targets Russia, Iran and North Korea, "tightens the screws on our most dangerous adversaries in order to keep Americans safe," House Speaker Paul Ryan said after it passed on Tuesday by 419 votes to three. It now heads to the Senate before Trump faces the tricky choice of whether to veto the bill, which has been opposed by the White House and considerably constrains his ability to lift the penalties. While Moscow and Tehran raised the prospect of retaliation over any fresh punitive measures, the EU also warned it was "ready to act to protect European interests" if the legislation hit dealings with the Russian energy sector. The US bill was the result of a congressional compromise aimed at punishing the Kremlin for allegedly interfering in the 2016 US presidential election and intervening in Ukraine. Key among the provisions is one that handcuffs Trump by complicating any unilateral efforts to ease santions against Moscow in future -- effectively placing him under Congress's watch. "Left unchecked, Russia is sure to continue its aggression," House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce said, applauding the bill's backing. Sanctions 'will not go unanswered' Despite initially opposing the bill, Trump appears to have few options in the face of near-total consensus in Congress, with a decision likely due by mid-August. Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the White House was still "reviewing the House legislation and awaits a final legislative package for the president's desk". But even if Trump were to veto the legislation, Congress would likely be able to overcome such a blockage with a two-thirds majority in each chamber. Moscow responded angrily to the vote, with deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov insisting Washington had been warned "dozens of times" that any new sanctions would "not go unanswered". "The authors and sponsors of this bill are taking a very serious step towards destroying the possibilities for normalising relations with Russia," he told state-run TASS news agency. Ties between Moscow and Washington have been at their lowest point since the Cold War since the US began slapping sanctions on Russia after its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Trump repeatedly pledged to improve relations during his campaign, raising the prospect that he could roll back the Obama-era punishments. Since then, accusations from US intelligence that the Kremlin meddled in the vote to get Trump elected have made any softening of the stance on Russia politically toxic. The bill also includes fresh sanctions against Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which stands accused of supporting terrorism, and North Korea, for its missile tests, are also included. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would respond in kind to any breach by the US of the 2015 nuclear deal after the vote. The Iranian parliament's national security and foreign affairs committee said it would hold an extraordinary session on Saturday to discuss its response. European 'concerns In a rare feat, the US vote has also managed to upset European Union nations worried that it could damage their energy interests. European commissioners, the EU executive's top officials, "expressed their concerns notably because of the draft bill's possible impact on EU energy independence," the bloc said in a statement following talks in Brussels on Wednesday. In an apparent concession, the House modified a provision so the bill only targets pipelines originating in Russia, sparing those that merely pass through, such as the Caspian pipeline that carries oil from Kazakhstan to Europe. But Brussels worries that the fresh wave of measures could end up penalising European firms that contribute to the development of Russia's energy sector. "Depending on its implementation, this could affect infrastructure transporting energy resources to Europe," including those transiting through Ukraine, the EU said in a statement. Brussels also decried the sanctions bill as a unilateral action by Washington that disrupted previous close cooperation on measures against Russia, which took a toll on its economy. The EU and US imposed the punishment after Russia's annexation of Crimea, before Moscow was later accused of backing a separatist insurgency to halt Ukraine's pivot to the West. The two sides later imposed broader economic sanctions after the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in July 2014, which international investigators say was downed by a Russian missile fired from rebel-held territory.

European Union, Moscow warn US after House votes for new Russia sanctions

The US Congress is poised to approve tough new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea this week after reaching a compromise deal, which the White House indicated Sunday it could support.

In mid-June, the Senate overwhelmingly passed tough sanctions on Moscow and Tehran, but the text stalled in the House of Representatives, until agreement was reached on Saturday.

The House is now set to vote Tuesday on a bill that targets Russia -- for its alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election and its annexation of Crimea -- as well as Iran and North Korea, for its recent ballistic missile tests.

Initially, Trump resisted the legislation, which would prevent him from unilaterally easing penalties against Moscow in the future -- effectively placing him under Congress&#39;s watch.

But faced with near-total consensus among Republican and Democratic lawmakers, the White House blinked.

&quot;We support where the legislation is now, and will continue to work with the House and Senate to put those tough sanctions in place on Russia until the situation in Ukraine is fully resolved,&quot; new White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told ABC&#39;s &quot;This Week&quot; news program.

&quot;The original piece of legislation was poorly written,&quot; she added.

Her boss, communications director Anthony Scaramucci, said it was still up to Trump whether or not to sign the measure into law.

&quot;My guess is that he&#39;s going to make that decision shortly,&quot; Scaramucci told CNN, introducing a bit more doubt as to Trump&#39;s intentions.

Even if Trump were to oppose the measure, Congress could overturn it with a two-thirds majority of both houses.

&quot;If he vetoes the bill, we will override his veto,&quot; Democratic Senator Ben Cardin told Fox News Sunday.

Once the House approves the compromise bill, the Senate will vote again, likely before the summer recess begins in August.

In Europe, the unilateral move by the US Congress does not sit well.

A spokeswoman for the European Commission said the draft legislation appeared to be &quot;driven primarily by domestic considerations.&quot;

&quot;Sanctions are at their most effective when they are coordinated. Currently our sanctions regimes are coordinated,&quot; she added, expressing concern that any new US measures could have &quot;unintended consequences.&quot;

House Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy alluded to those concerns, saying the text, which has not yet been made public, would &quot;help bolster the energy security of our European allies by maintaining their access to key energy resources outside of Russia.&quot;

The US Congress is poised to approve tough new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea this week

The US Congress is poised to approve tough new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea this week after reaching a compromise deal, which the White House indicated Sunday it could support. In mid-June, the Senate overwhelmingly passed tough sanctions on Moscow and Tehran, but the text stalled in the House of Representatives, until agreement was reached on Saturday. The House is now set to vote Tuesday on a bill that targets Russia -- for its alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election and its annexation of Crimea -- as well as Iran and North Korea, for its recent ballistic missile tests. Initially, Trump resisted the legislation, which would prevent him from unilaterally easing penalties against Moscow in the future -- effectively placing him under Congress's watch. But faced with near-total consensus among Republican and Democratic lawmakers, the White House blinked. "We support where the legislation is now, and will continue to work with the House and Senate to put those tough sanctions in place on Russia until the situation in Ukraine is fully resolved," new White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told ABC's "This Week" news program. "The original piece of legislation was poorly written," she added. Her boss, communications director Anthony Scaramucci, said it was still up to Trump whether or not to sign the measure into law. "My guess is that he's going to make that decision shortly," Scaramucci told CNN, introducing a bit more doubt as to Trump's intentions. Even if Trump were to oppose the measure, Congress could overturn it with a two-thirds majority of both houses. "If he vetoes the bill, we will override his veto," Democratic Senator Ben Cardin told Fox News Sunday. Once the House approves the compromise bill, the Senate will vote again, likely before the summer recess begins in August. In Europe, the unilateral move by the US Congress does not sit well. A spokeswoman for the European Commission said the draft legislation appeared to be "driven primarily by domestic considerations." "Sanctions are at their most effective when they are coordinated. Currently our sanctions regimes are coordinated," she added, expressing concern that any new US measures could have "unintended consequences." House Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy alluded to those concerns, saying the text, which has not yet been made public, would "help bolster the energy security of our European allies by maintaining their access to key energy resources outside of Russia."

US Congress to vote on Russia sanctions, tying Trump's hands

At the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, the chief executive of Russia&#39;s second-largest Russian bank, VTB,&nbsp;called for US President-elect Donald&nbsp;Trump to scrap penalties&nbsp;against Russian banks when considering lifting other sanctions against Moscow.

Obama&#39;s administration&nbsp;and other European countries had imposed sanctions against Russian businesses, officials and individuals after Russia&#39;s annexation of Crimea&nbsp;in 2014.

The Russian banker&#39;s&nbsp;request to&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;comes as 17 US&nbsp;Intelligence agencies all agree that Russia interfered with the US election to benefit trump in a multifaceted cyber attack, including the&nbsp;spread of misinformation, fake news, and hacking the Democrats.

Trump has denied claims of his ties with the Kremlin.

In his final news conference at the White House on January 18, Obama advised Trump to keep the issue of economic sanctions on Russia separate from talks to reduce nuclear stockpiles. &quot;Russia continues to occupy Ukrainian territory and meddle in Ukrainian affairs,&quot; Obama told reporters.

&quot;I think it would probably best serve, not only American interests, but also the interests of preserving international norms if we made sure that we don&#39;t confuse why these sanctions have been imposed with a whole set of other issues,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Obama also said that while it&nbsp;was in the world&#39;s interest for US and Russia to have a &quot;constructive relationship&quot;,&nbsp;Russia&#39;s return to an &quot;adversarial spirit&quot; under President Vladimir Putin made that difficult. Obama&nbsp;said the reason the sanctions were imposed was&nbsp;not because of nuclear weapons&nbsp;but because the independence and sovereignty of a country, Ukraine, had been encroached upon by force by Russia.&nbsp;

In an interview with the Times of London published on Monday Trump&nbsp;said he would bargain with Moscow over ending sanctions on Russia in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal.

Obama had also clarified that the US negotiated the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with Russia in his first term and that both countries &quot;substantially reduced our nuclear stockpiles&quot;, but further progress was stalled because Putin was unwilling to negotiate. &nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The US imposed sanctions against Russian businesses, officials and individuals following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014

At the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, the chief executive of Russia's second-largest Russian bank, VTB, called for US President-elect Donald Trump to scrap penalties against Russian banks when considering lifting other sanctions against Moscow. Obama's administration and other European countries had imposed sanctions against Russian businesses, officials and individuals after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. The Russian banker's request to Trump comes as 17 US Intelligence agencies all agree that Russia interfered with the US election to benefit trump in a multifaceted cyber attack, including the spread of misinformation, fake news, and hacking the Democrats. Trump has denied claims of his ties with the Kremlin. In his final news conference at the White House on January 18, Obama advised Trump to keep the issue of economic sanctions on Russia separate from talks to reduce nuclear stockpiles. "Russia continues to occupy Ukrainian territory and meddle in Ukrainian affairs," Obama told reporters. "I think it would probably best serve, not only American interests, but also the interests of preserving international norms if we made sure that we don't confuse why these sanctions have been imposed with a whole set of other issues," he said. Obama also said that while it was in the world's interest for US and Russia to have a "constructive relationship", Russia's return to an "adversarial spirit" under President Vladimir Putin made that difficult. Obama said the reason the sanctions were imposed was not because of nuclear weapons but because the independence and sovereignty of a country, Ukraine, had been encroached upon by force by Russia. In an interview with the Times of London published on Monday Trump said he would bargain with Moscow over ending sanctions on Russia in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal. Obama had also clarified that the US negotiated the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with Russia in his first term and that both countries "substantially reduced our nuclear stockpiles", but further progress was stalled because Putin was unwilling to negotiate. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

CEO of Russian bank asks Trump to lift sanctions at World Economic Forum