Zelensky urges Trump to impose tough sanctions on Russia immediately

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on US President Donald Trump to immediately impose tough sanctions against Russia. He made the statement in Kyiv at the Yalta European Strategy forum, according to AFP.

"Sanctions need to be imposed right away. They must be tough. This is a tool the United States is obliged to use in order to strip Russia of its ability to finance its war against Ukraine day after day," Zelensky said. He added that during wartime, it's better to make an imperfect decision than to do nothing: "Decisions on sanctions, economic and energy restrictions against Russia, as well as limits on the production of ballistic missiles and related weapons, must be made immediately. What are we waiting for?"

The late Senator Graham's bill

Zelensky recalled a proposal by the late US Senator Lindsey Graham to impose sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil. "Of course, this bill should be passed — out of respect, above all, for Lindsey himself," the Ukrainian president said, noting that the senator "devoted his life to defending American, European and Ukrainian values."

According to Zelensky, the bill should be put to a vote and passed, but equally important are decisive steps from the US administration — a personal decision by President Trump. "I really hope we'll see that happen," Zelensky concluded. According to Reuters, US lawmakers are expected to consider Graham's proposal as early as next week.

Ukraine ready to respond to strikes on energy infrastructure

In a separate statement, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine is capable of responding to any Russian operation. "Russia knows: if it strikes — and it is now preparing to attack our energy system this winter — it will get the same in return. If it causes power outages, we will try to respond in kind," he said.

At the same time, the Ukrainian leader reiterated that negotiations have always remained an alternative. "The negotiation process must be aimed at ending the war. And if Russia doesn't want to end the war, our partners need to find a way to make it do so," Zelensky said.

Dragging out the war, he said, is a problem not just for Ukraine but also for Russia's economy and the world at large — he pointed, in particular, to the blockade of the Black Sea, which serves as a crucial corridor for food transportation. "Agriculture and energy are two challenges the whole world faces today. And if peace isn't possible right now because one man [referring to Russian leader Vladimir Putin] doesn't want it, we can still resolve the issue of an energy truce and food security. These are decisions that can be made right now," Zelensky concluded.

Source: novinky.cz