The whirlwind diplomacy of the US-Russia summit in Alaska, followed by European leaders showing a united front with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House, has put new US sanctions on Russian energy on hold — for now. Trump had threatened severe consequences to Russia’s teetering war economy if the Kremlin didn’t agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, only to back off that position after rolling out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubled down on the reversal by arguing that fresh punitive measures against Moscow would undermine diplomacy. Instead, US pressure seems limited to the select threat to enact an additional 25% tariff on India over its Russian crude imports. The question now is whether US policy will sharpen if talks break down.