Zelenskyy: June 2026 - we all hope there will be no more war
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (press service of the Office of the President)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy says there is hope that there will be no more war in June 2026. Meanwhile, Russia will feel the impact of sanctions starting next summer, the president told journalists on May 27.
He believes that specific sanctions are needed against Russia. However, he confirms that some people believe that strong sanctions could allegedly close the possibility of dialogue with Russia. And, as the president noted, such opinions exist in the United States and Europe.
“Of course, we understand the analysis of many intelligence agencies, many countries, and analysts. June 2026 - we all hope there will be no more war. We really do. But we also understand that the Russians will feel the economic impact of the sanctions. Already from those that have been adopted. And we believe that from that moment on, somewhere in the summer of 2026, their economy will feel it strongly,” the president said.
Zelenskyy added that it is difficult to predict the budget deficit of Russia, as its economy is mostly shadowy. According to the president, the biggest challenge now is the growth of the Russian military-industrial complex.
“We see that it will not be able to grow next year, it will decrease. And it will decrease constantly. The economy will change completely, they will spend everything on the war. Then there is a big problem with the military-industrial complex, with components that come from China, Taiwan, the United States, and a few companies in Europe. About three dozen key enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex consistently have relevant contracts with companies from these countries, which I mentioned,” he said.
Zelenskyy also commented on his participation in the G7 and NATO summit. He noted that the prime minister of Canada, which currently holds the G7 presidency, invited him to the summit this June, and the president of Ukraine confirmed his participation.
“As for NATO, Rutte told me that they would very much like Ukraine to be there. And it is very important for Ukraine to understand in what format it can be represented. There are many different signals regarding NATO,” Zelenskyy added.
As for the EU, the president said he would also attend the summit in one format or another.
Sanctions against Russia
On May 20, the EU adopted the 17th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting Russia's shadow fleet. The European Union has already begun preparing a new package.
The leaders of France, Germany, Britain, and other European countries have declared their readiness to increase sanctions against Moscow if it refuses to cease fire or take other steps toward peace.
US President Donald Trump has also repeatedly stated that he is considering sanctions against Russia. The other day he said that he was absolutely considering imposing sanctions.
Earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the United States was in no hurry to impose sanctions because it could cause Russia to withdraw from negotiations to end its war against Ukraine.
