The US will not lift sanctions against Russia until an agreement is reached on Ukraine.

According to TASS, on February 19, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured US allies in Europe that US sanctions against Russia would remain in effect, at least until an agreement is reached on Ukraine.

According to a Bloomberg source, Rubio raised this plan after he participated in negotiations with the Russian delegation in Saudi Arabia.

America's European allies have expressed concern over Washington's approach to Moscow, which has shifted significantly since the first meeting between US and Russian delegations on February 18. Senior officials from both sides met just a month after Donald Trump returned to the White House, while Ukraine and NATO partners were sidelined.

According to Reuters, Trump's hasty imposition of an order to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict has raised concerns that a peace deal with President Putin could undermine the security of Kyiv and Europe, as well as alter the geopolitical landscape.

"The disturbing fact is that Trump has transformed Russia from a country under boycott to a highly regarded partner in just a few days. That comes at a price," said Brett Bruen, a former foreign policy adviser in former President Barack Obama's administration.

Even before the negotiations, European politicians criticized President Trump for making a free concession to Russia last week by excluding Ukraine from NATO membership and said Kyiv was delusional to believe it could regain the 20% of territory currently under Russian control.

Reuters reported that the meeting between the two delegations saw Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov – two officials who have spent a combined 34 years in their current roles – negotiate with three of President Trump's aides during their first month in office: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff.

"The US delegation was largely composed of people with little experience in high-level international negotiations, no regional expertise on Ukraine and Russia, and no relevant diplomatic knowledge," assessed Timothy Snyder, a Yale University professor and expert on Russia.

Brett Bruen, a former foreign policy adviser in the Obama administration, described this as an "amateur moment" for President Trump's national security apparatus.

Meanwhile, Brian Hughes, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said: "President Trump has built a strong team that is now demonstrating his peace agenda through the power of his actions."