Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he and Donald Trump discussed sanctions on Russia, defense cooperation and drone production ahead of U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to Moscow.
Zelensky thanked Trump for claiming during Tuesday’s “productive” talks that Moscow was particularly “sensitive” to the prospects of sanctions.
Trump has previously said that if Russia disagrees with Ukraine’s ceasefire agreement before Friday, it will face huge sanctions or see secondary sanctions imposed on all those dealing with it.
Vikov will be held in Moscow on Wednesday and is expected to meet Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin poses a threat to Trump’s sanctions, although spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out last week that the Russian economy “has given some immunity to sanctions” because it lasted for a long time in their territory. Trump also admitted that he did not know whether the sanctions “trouble” Putin.
The U.S. president may hope that Russia’s trading partners will bring them enough inconvenience, and they will choose to be related to buying Moscow’s oil – ultimately making the Kremlin need to continue to wage war on Ukraine.
On Monday, Trump said he would High new tariffs are imposed on Indiais the main buyer of Russian oil, accusing it of not caring about “how many people in Ukraine were killed by the Russian war machine”. The Kremlin said it is “illegal” to force countries to cut trade relations with Russia.
Zelensky said in his telegram that he and Trump also spoke about the “brutal behavior” of Russia’s strike against Ukraine.
The U.S. president has previously mentioned Moscow’s repeated attacks on Ukrainian cities, which shows that bomb explosions often follow “nice” telephone conversations between himself and Putin.
Only last February, Zarensky asked to leave the White House after a disastrous meeting, the U.S. president accused him of not expressing his gratitude to our aid and “gambling with World War III.”
The two men gradually repaired their relationship. Trump said in July that the United States would sell “top weapons” to NATO members and then pass them to Kiev – announcing this week that Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden would be the first countries to buy weapons from the United States under the plan.
Their comprehensive donations will total more than $1 billion and will be used for air defense equipment and ammunition.
Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said speed is “absolutely crucial” and Denmark will be willing to consider additional funds later.
More than three years after Russia’s full invasion, Ukrainian cities continued to be hit by severe bombing and conventional drone attacks. Authorities said six people were killed in eastern Ukraine on the last day.
Before taking office, Trump repeatedly said he would be able to end the conflict in one day – it was precisely because of his request that Russia and Ukraine sat down for the first time last May for the ceasefire.
But discussions failed to bring both sides closer to peace, and the U.S. president seemed increasingly impatient with progress lacking.
Despite Trump’s looming deadline, Vladimir Putin poured cold water last week, hoping to have a quick, long-term ceasefire with Ukraine. Although he said he watched the talks with Kiev “positively”, he also pointed out that “all disappointments come from inflated expectations.”
