MOSCOW, February 20. /TASS/. Vladimir Putin welcomes the outcome of the Russia-US talks in Riyadh; the EU greenlights another package of sanctions on Russia; and the US in no rush to return to the nuclear deal with Tehran. These stories have topped Thursday’s newspaper headlines across Russia. Media: Putin assesses outcome of Russia-US talks in Riyadh On February 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time thoroughly commented on the outcome of the Russian-US talks held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Putin hailed the negotiations as “they produced results,” Vedomosti notes.
There is great demand for the resumption of cooperation and the revival of relations between Russia and the United States, as ties are currently at a low point Denis Denisov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, observed. Putin’s praise for the Riyadh talks makes it clear that communication will continue, Russia in Global Affairs Editor-in-Chief Fyodor Lukyanov said. For a start, the parties will bring the operation of their diplomatic missions back to normal before launching preparations for a meeting between the two countries’ presidents. According to the expert, the negotiation process will progress, including on the Ukraine issue, but it’s not yet about a direct conversation between Russia and Ukraine. In Lukyanov’s view, it will depend on what the US is ready to offer Kiev and what it will expect from Ukraine. As of today, we can talk at least about the resumption of a substantive dialogue between Russia and the US, Andrey Kortunov, research director of the Russian International Affairs Council, pointed out. He specified that relations could be restored at various levels, including the revival of communication channels and the operation of diplomatic missions. “Basically, all this is very important in terms of the overall restoration efforts,” the expert stressed. According to Kortunov, further progress depends on the political will the parties may show. In particular, progress in the current efforts will depend on whether the parties manage to reach an understanding on settling the Ukraine conflict, the analyst emphasized. Meanwhile, Kiev still hopes to get military assistance from Europe if Washington eventually drops support for Ukraine, Izvestia writes. This raises questions about whether officials from London and Brussels will be engaged in talks. The Europeans continue to employ belligerent rhetoric and are even considering the option of sending troops to Ukraine. It’s Russia-US consultations that will form the basis for the entire negotiation process, Kortunov concluded. Media: EU approves additional sanctions on Russia European Union envoys have approved the 16th package of restrictions on Russia. According to Western reports, as expected, the focus will be on a ban on Russian raw aluminum imports. The industry’s companies resisted the initiative to include an aluminum ban in the previous 15 packages of sanctions.
Read also Ambassadors of 27 EU countries approve 16th package of sanctions against Russia — source
Additionally, according to media leaks, the new package will also cut off another 13 Russian banks from the SWIFT payment system, blacklist 73 more tankers on top of the 79 already on the list, and impose restrictions on several ports and airports, Vedomosti writes. Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas did not rule out in January that Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports would also be restricted, but the new package does not mention such sanctions. According to Kpler estimates, Russian LNG supplies to the EU reached 33.6 million metric tons in 2024, the highest level since 2022. Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, believes that it’s Hungary and Slovakia that oppose restrictions on LNG imports. He added that apart from LNG, few other targets remain for sanctions. US restrictions are heavier than those of the EU as they are extraterritorial and could trigger blocking sanctions for all those in contact with sanctioned individuals and companies, Yushkov points out. Brussels’ principle is different: EU officials continue to duplicate US restrictions, only to a lesser extent. The question of whether the EU will introduce more sanctions is settled: the process will go on, Russian International Affairs Council Director General Ivan Timofeev agrees. Nadezhda Arbatova, head of the Department of European Political Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economy and International Relations, told Nezavisimaya Gazeta that there was nothing extraordinary about the EU’s move to approve the newest package of sanctions. “A new package was expected. What stands out is the international political situation in which the EU leadership is introducing sanctions. After US Vice President JD Vance shocked European leaders with his harsh criticism in an address to the Munich Security Conference, Brussels seeks to show Washington that it will make independent decisions on security issues and sanctions against Russia, without waiting for the Donald Trump administration,” the analyst explained. The EU’s new measures stem from Brussels’ concerns that Trump could reduce the pressure of sanctions on Moscow as part of the communication process that has begun between the US and Russian presidents. “Apparently, by adopting the new package of sanctions, the EU authorities seek not only to increase pressure on Moscow but also to remind Washington that restrictions against Russia were agreed on by the Group of Seven,” Arbatova said. “Brussels believes that the United States’ unilateral withdrawal from the process will harm the West’s unity amid a deep crisis facing European security,” she added. Izvestia: US not rushing to return to nuclear deal with Tehran The new US administration has not yet shown any interest in reviving the Iran nuclear deal, Russian Ambassador to Tehran Alexey Dedov told Izvestia.