A sweeping US sanctions bill offers Ukraine new leverage on Russia

KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukraine has long argued that Russia will only negotiate seriously if the cost of continuing the war becomes too high.For Kyiv, punitive sanctions that impose real economic costs on Moscow are a key part of that strategy.This week’s passage of a long-sought, sweeping package of U.S. sanctions aimed at cutting off some of the financial resources President Vladimir Putin relies on to fund the war gives Ukraine another potential source of leverage, but its impact may depend on whether and how aggressively the measures are implemented by the United States.The House on Wednesday approved the sanctions package targeting Russian officials and key sectors of the economy. On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the vote “symbolic,” adding that the House passed the bill on the same night Russia launched another large-scale attack across Ukraine, capabilities the full implementation of the deal would derail. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that if the United States imposes additional sanctions on Russia, it would hinder the Washington-led effort to end the war in Ukraine.“We are, of course, monitoring the passing of this document. This falls i...