Make Putin fearful: Zelenskyy urges Trump to take actions
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
The United States should put stronger pressure on Vladimir Putin and impose a powerful package of sanctions against Russia, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with Sky News.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the US leader to take "decisive personal steps" to "stop Putin," after Donald Trump called on NATO allies to halt Russian oil purchases and impose tariffs on China to pressure Moscow.
"I believe the United States is strong enough to make independent decisions. I believe Donald Trump can give us air defense systems in the numbers we need, and the US has enough of them," Zelenskyy said.
He also insisted that the US can impose sanctions strong enough to damage the Russian economy, and that Trump has the power to make Putin afraid.
"Europe has already adopted 18 packages of sanctions against Russia. And now what is missing is only a powerful package of sanctions from the United States," Zelenskyy said.
Referring to the recent Trump–Putin summit in Alaska, Zelenskyy argued that Trump "gave a lot to Putin" and stressed that "he should have paid more for that meeting."
"I believe that if it had been a trilateral meeting [with Ukraine included], we would have achieved some result," he added.
New sanctions against Russia
The US Congress has registered a bill proposing 500% tariffs on goods from states that purchase Russian oil products, gas, and uranium.
The measure is intended to hit the Russian economy and push Vladimir Putin toward peace talks with Ukraine.
The initiative has support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but it has not yet been put to a vote.
Donald Trump has signaled readiness to press Putin and seek an end to the war in Ukraine through tough sanctions.
At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Putin is trying to deceive Trump and delay the introduction of new US sanctions against Russia.
