Ukrainian First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsia says Russia has successfully used the Istanbul negotiations to stall the adoption of new US sanctions, Suspilne reports. 

According to the official, this diplomatic maneuvering came as the Middle East crisis pushed global oil prices sharply higher.

“Sanctions must be strengthened and designed to make it impossible for Russia to finance its war,” Kyslytsia emphasizes. 

He also stresses the need to target Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” and lower the oil price cap. Additional sanctions should also hit Russia’s financial sector, specifically by cutting more Russian banks off from the SWIFT system.

Another critical issue, he notes, is the presence of foreign components in Russian weapons used against Ukraine. While the impact of sanctions is often delayed, Kyslytsia warns that a stop-and-go approach to sanctions only benefits the Kremlin.

“The fact that sanctions are adopted slowly and in waves does not help us,” he states.

Kyslytsia also points to the fallout from Israel’s strike on Iran, which sent oil prices soaring by 13–14% in the first few hours, a windfall for Moscow’s war economy.

“Whether this will have a lasting impact remains unclear. Everything now depends on de-escalation in the Middle East,” he adds. 

Meanwhile, Ukraine is facing the broader geopolitical challenge posed not only by Russia but also by its key international backers, Iran, China, and North Korea.

Ukraine’s military confrontation remains primarily with Russian forces on the frontlines. However, these allied states provide critical economic, military, and diplomatic support to Moscow, indirectly intensifying the war.