'Non-starter' Ukraine talks renew call for US sanctions bill

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks as Kash Patel, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be director of the FBI, testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 30, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. senators renewed calls on Friday for Congress to pass sanctions on Russia after Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks showed little progress, but no votes were scheduled on bills introduced six weeks ago aimed at pressuring Moscow to negotiate seriously.

Kyiv and Moscow's first direct talks in more than three years on Friday ended in well under two hours, with Russia presenting conditions that a Ukrainian source described as "non-starters."