Key developments on April 2:
- US sanctions Russian firms but lifts sanctions on Putin ally's wife
- US sanctions network supplying Houthis with stolen Ukrainian grain, Russian arms
- Trump admin officials say ceasefire unlikely in coming months, Reuters reports
- Russian negotiator to meet Trump envoy in US on April 2, media report
- Upcoming Ramstein summit to take place on April 11 in Brussels
- HUR releases video of drone attack on Russian landing craft, air defense system in Crimea
The U.S. has expanded its sanctions on Russian companies while simultaneously removing restrictions on the wife of Boris Rotenberg, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control reported on April 2.
While U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly praised his relationship with Putin, he took a more critical tone on March 30, accusing Moscow of stalling ceasefire talks and fixating on President Volodymyr Zelensky's credibility.
Trump has repeatedly threatened Russia with additional sanctions, most recently threatening tariffs on Russian oil exports if Putin does not "make a deal" to end the war.
Karina Rotenberg, the wife of the billionaire Boris Rotenberg, has been a U.S. citizen since at least 2013, the Moscow Times reported, citing leaked documents. She was sanctioned by the U.S. in March 2022.
Boris and his brother Arkady Rotenberg have built their wealth through state-backed contracts in construction and banking, and both have been sanctioned by Western governments for their ties to the Kremlin.
The Treasury Department did not provide a reason for Karina Rotenberg's removal from the sanctions list.
Three Russian legal entities — Edison, Kolibri Group, and Sky Frame — were added to the U.S. Treasury Department's blacklist, blocking their assets and banning all transactions.
Edison trades in household appliances, Kolibri Group deals in grain and animal feed, and Sky Frame is listed as a motion picture production company.
According to the Treasury, these companies were part of a network, backed by Iran, that sent raw materials, weapons, and sensitive goods from Russia to the Yemeni Houthis.
The shipments, estimated to be worth tens of millions of dollars, reportedly included grain stolen from Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine.
The sanctions come as Moscow is demonstrating that it is unwilling to move forward on a peace deal with Ukraine, and Russian authorities have listed maximalist demands in ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine and the U.S.
Washington and Kyiv agreed to a full ceasefire on March 11, but Moscow rejected it, accepting only a limited truce on strikes against energy infrastructure and military operations in the Black Sea.
Kyiv has since accused Moscow of violating the energy ceasefire, while the Black Sea truce remains uncertain as Russia links its continuation to sanction relief.
Katie Marie Davies
US sanctions network supplying Houthis with stolen Ukrainian grain, Russian arms
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on April 2 against a network of individuals and entities facilitating Russian arms purchases for the Houthis, a pro-Iranian Shia rebel group in Yemen.
The sanctioned network helped the Houthis acquire "tens of millions of dollars' worth of commodities from Russia, including weapons and sensitive goods, as well as stolen Ukrainian grain," according to the Treasury.
Russia had looted millions of tons of Ukrainian grain from occupied territories, with at least 180,000 tons stolen through Mariupol alone, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Oct. 8, 2024.
Estimates suggested that up to 6 million metric tons had been stolen by Russia by mid-2023. The theft, combined with attacks on agricultural infrastructure and threats to Black Sea shipping, has severely impacted Ukraine's agriculture sector.
The sanctions target two Afghan businessmen, a Hong Kong company linked to a Russian vessel transporting stolen Ukrainian grain, and the current and former Russian captains of the ship.
Three Russian-registered companies owned by one of the sanctioned Afghan individuals were also included. Additionally, an Iranian businessman residing in Turkey was sanctioned for his ties to Sa'id al-Jamal, the Houthis' chief financial officer, who is already under U.S. restrictions.
"The Houthis remain reliant on Sa'id al-Jamal and his network to procure critical goods to supply the group's terrorist war machine," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, emphasizing Washington's commitment to limiting the group's capabilities.
The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, have been in conflict with Yemen's government since 2014 and with a Saudi-led coalition since 2015.
Since late 2023, they have targeted commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, claiming they are retaliating against Israel's military operation in Gaza.
The U.S. has intensified airstrikes against the Houthis in recent weeks as part of a broader effort to curb their attacks on regional shipping.
Yuliia Taradiuk
Trump admin officials say ceasefire unlikely in coming months, Reuters reports
Senior Trump administration officials have been discussing in recent days that Washington may not be able to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the coming months, Reuters reported on April 1, citing two undisclosed U.S. officials.
The U.S. is drawing up plans to exert additional pressure on both Kyiv and Moscow as the goal of a full ceasefire by April or May seems increasingly unlikely, the news agency wrote.
Ukraine agreed to a U.S.-proposed full 30-day ceasefire during talks in Jeddah on March 11, but the Kremlin has rejected the proposal unless it includes conditions undermining Kyiv's defense capabilities, namely, a halt on foreign military support.
The three sides agreed on a partial truce, covering strikes against energy infrastructure and the Black Sea, during talks in Riyadh last week.
Since then, Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of violating the energy ceasefire, while the future of the Black Sea truce remains in doubt as Russia linked it to the lifting of some Western sanctions.
While the Trump administration has long been dissatisfied with Kyiv's negotiating position and hesitancy on the U.S.-backed minerals deal, Reuters reported that Washington is now also growing frustrated with Russia.
White House and State Department officials reportedly acknowledge that Russian President Vladimir Putin is actively stalling attempts to broker a peace deal.
This coincides with statements from the Russian Foreign Ministry that Moscow is not ready to accept Trump's proposals "as they are now," as they do not address the supposed "root causes" of the war.
Trump previously said he was "pissed off" at Putin for continuing to disparage President Volodymyr Zelensky. On the same day, Trump warned that Zelensky would face "big problems" with the U.S. if he did not sign a critical minerals deal.
In March, the U.S. temporarily halted military and intelligence support for Ukraine to pressure it to the negotiating table after the public spat between Trump and Zelensky in the White House.
Trump has also repeatedly threatened Russia with additional sanctions, most recently threatening tariffs on Russian oil exports if Putin does not "make a deal" to end the war.
Russian negotiator to meet Trump envoy in US on April 2, media report
Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev is expected to meet Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, at the White House on April 2, CNN and CBS News journalist Sara Cook reported, citing their sources.
Dmitriev, who heads the state-controlled Russian Direct Investment Fund, played a role in backchannel diplomacy between Moscow and the Trump administration in 2016. He was appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin as his representative for foreign economic relations and was involved in early U.S.-Russian negotiations in Riyadh in February.
The U.S. temporarily lifted sanctions on Dmitriev to grant him a visa, making him the first high-level Russian official to visit the U.S. since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to CNN and Cook.
Both Dmitriev's representatives and the U.S. government declined to comment on the visit when approached by CNN. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the trip was possible.
Dmitriev is active on X, a platform banned in Russia, where he has expressed support for Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, a known Trump ally.
His visit signals the Trump administration's push to restore ties with Moscow amid efforts to broker a swift peace deal in Ukraine.
Dmitriev claimed on March 31 that Washington and Moscow were discussing potential economic cooperation, particularly in the extraction of Russia's rare earth minerals.
Trump's presidency has marked a shift in Washington's Ukraine policy, with no new aid packages approved for Kyiv and previously allocated assistance temporarily frozen on March 4 to pressure Ukraine into negotiations.
The U.S. and Ukraine agreed to a full ceasefire on March 11, but Russia rejected it, accepting only a limited truce on strikes against energy infrastructure and military operations in the Black Sea.
Kyiv has since accused Moscow of violating the energy ceasefire, while the Black Sea truce remains uncertain as Russia links its continuation to sanction relief.
While Trump has repeatedly praised his relationship with Putin, he took a more critical tone on March 30, accusing Moscow of stalling ceasefire talks and fixating on President Volodymyr Zelensky's credibility.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
Upcoming Ramstein summit to take place on April 11 in Brussels
The next Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting in the Ramstein format will be held on April 11 in Brussels under the chairmanship of the U.K. and Germany, the U.K. Joint Delegation to NATO announced on April 2 on X.
The Ramstein summit will take place after the meeting of the coalition of the willing, a group of countries that have pledged peacekeeping troops and other security guarantees for Ukraine in a potential ceasefire.
The coalition's meeting is set for April 10 at NATO Headquarters in Brussels and will be hosted by French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu and U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey, according to the U.K. Joint Delegation to NATO.
The last Ramstein-format UDCG meeting took place in Brussels on Feb. 12 under the chairmanship of the U.K. – a position previously held by the U.S.
Leadership over Ramstein transitioned following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The previous meeting focused on coordinating support for Ukraine, including expanding defense production, financing new enterprises, and increasing arms supplies through European defense industry capacities.
Timothy Ash
HUR releases video of drone attack on Russian landing craft, air defense system in Crimea
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) on April 1 released a video of a drone operation in Russian-occupied Crimea in which it claims to have struck two Russian military boats and an air defense system.
HUR claimed drones operated by its "Prymary" special unit struck a Tor M2 short-range air defense system and two Russian landing craft operating at sea.
HUR did not say in its post when the operation took place, but an HUR source initially told the Kyiv Independent on April 2 that the video was "new, about 10 days (old)," but later clarified that it was actually from January.
According to a post on Telegram, the drones "skillfully" evaded air defenses — and at least one seagull — before hitting their targets.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the authenticity of the video.
The U.S., Russia, and Ukraine agreed to a partial ceasefire and to "eliminate the use of force" and prevent commercial vessels from being used for military purposes in the Black Sea, the White House announced on March 25 — eight days ago.
Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian military and industrial targets in Sevastopol and elsewhere in Crimea during the full-scale war.
According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, Kyiv understands that the Black Sea ceasefire applies to civilian shipping and Ukrainian ports and does not apply to Russian warships.
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