The US is preparing a fresh round of sanctions on Russia’s energy sector to increase the pressure on Moscow should President Vladimir Putin reject a peace agreement with Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Trump administration, which remains keen to ram forward some kind of deal, has tried to sell Kyiv of its latest vision for peace which is an unclear compromise of sorts. It would require Ukraine’s military to withdraw from the areas of Donetsk it still controls and turn the area into a special economic zone.

President Donald Trump has directed U.S. officials to help to facilitate a “lasting and durable peace" between Ukraine and Russia, with a "very, very strong" package being presented.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told ABC News during an exclusive interview in Moscow on Monday that he believes the warring parties are close to a deal.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Ukraine's allies on Wednesday to secure support for Kyiv and show Russia that continuing its war is "pointless," ahead of a crucial European Union summit on Moscow's frozen assets.

Russian crude prices are at their lowest since the war in Ukraine began, as sanctions deepen the discounts the nation’s oil industry needs to offer and benchmark futures tumble.

U.S. administration officials signaled Monday a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine may be closer than ever.

The attack appeared to have been inspired by white supremacist ideology, Telegram channels close to intelligence agencies reported.

The new head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service MI6 will warn the nation that the “front line is everywhere” in her first public speech on Monday, as the UK faces emerging threats.

China buys Russian oil and gas at steep discounts while supplying Moscow with machinery and electronics as Western sanctions tighten.