US threatens Russia with new sanctions and pledges Ukraine weapons if Kremlin ignores ceasefire calls
Photo: US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz (Getty Images)
The United States is prepared to impose additional economic sanctions against Russia and continue supplying weapons to Ukraine if the Kremlin continues to ignore calls for a ceasefire, US Permanent Representative to the UN Michael Waltz says during a UN Security Council meeting.
Waltz stresses that diplomacy is the only path to a lasting and just peace.
"We have proposed generous terms for Russia, including sanctions relief. We have asked Russia to halt its attacks and meet directly with Ukraine to negotiate a peaceful settlement. Unfortunately, the fighting continues, tragically causing more civilian casualties," he says.
The US Ambassador also recalled the incursion of Russian drones into the airspace of third countries, including our NATO allies, which risks further escalating this conflict.
He stresses that Ukraine's strikes on Russia's energy sector and other critical infrastructure have limited the Kremlin's ability to finance its military economy.
Waltz also adds that Russia has suffered over a million casualties and is under pressure from tough international sanctions.
The Ambassador stresses that the bottom line was that the costs for all sides had been devastating and that it was time to end the war. He says he hoped everyone agreed that the war would not end militarily and that the leaders of Russia and Ukraine had to negotiate. He emphasizes that both countries had to agree to a ceasefire.
He recalls that at the end of October, the US imposed additional sanctions against two of Russia's largest oil companies and threatened Russia with new sanctions and further arms supplies to Ukraine if the Kremlin did not cease fire.
"We can impose further economic costs if Russia continues to ignore calls for a ceasefire. We will also continue to make weapons available for Ukraine's defence," Waltz says.
US peace plan
American and Russian officials have developed a plan to end the war in Ukraine.
The US consulted with Russian representative Kirill Dmitriev on the plan. After meeting with Dmitriev, they also discussed the plan with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's national security adviser Rustem Umerov.
Yesterday, November 20, Zelenskyy officially received the draft plan from the US and plans to discuss it with US President Donald Trump in the near future.
The full text of the 28-point peace plan, which the US is calling on Ukraine and Russia to sign in the near future, has already been published online.
A senior White House official acknowledged that the plan is not easy for Ukraine, but said that the US believes the war must end and that if it does not, Ukraine is likely to lose even more territory.
