Zelensky announces upcoming talks with Trump on strengthening sanctions against Russia
President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Sept. 3 that he plans to speak "soon" with U.S. President Donald Trump about increasing sanctions pressure on Russia.
Since the start of Trump's second term, the U.S. has abstained from imposing sanctions targeting Russia or its allies in relation to the war in Ukraine. While Trump previously threatened to impose "severe" tariffs on countries buying Russian oil, Washington has so far only implemented a 25% tariff on India.
During the joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Zelensky expressed hope that tighter sanctions would force Russian President Vladimir Putin to shift toward diplomacy, including the possibility of leader-level talks, which the Kremlin has repeatedly avoided.
The Ukrainian president said Trump had promised to respond "in a few weeks," and that he intends to speak with him "today or in the coming days" to clarify the U.S. position.
Zelensky also dismissed the idea of territorial concessions to Russia as "unreasonable," warning that Putin cannot be trusted to sign any agreement.
"If someone supports this crazy idea, who can guarantee that Putin will not continue (the war)? No one can give guarantees," Zelensky said.
He noted that even after years of fighting, Russian forces have failed to take full control of Donetsk Oblast, a war-torn region since 2014.
"Donetsk has become a very powerful part of our line of defense," Zelensky said, claiming that Russia has lost over 100,000 troops in the area.
"In four years, (Putin) has not been able to occupy even 30% of one region," he added. "If he goes further, it will take him years — and not just time, but also millions of soldiers."
Putin has publicly demanded that Ukraine drop its desire for NATO membership and withdraw troops from the eastern Donbas region — comprised of partially occupied Donetsk Oblast and almost fully occupied Luhansk Oblast — as a condition for a peace deal. Under this condition, several large cities under Ukrainian control would have to be handed over to Russia.
While speaking to reporters alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping at a military parade in Beijing, Putin said Russia was ready to pursue its aims militarily if it wasn't satisfied by peace negotiations.
"It seems to me that if common sense prevails, it will be possible to agree on an acceptable solution to end this conflict. ... If not, then we will have to resolve all the tasks before us by force of arms," he said.
Zelensky has repeatedly rejected formally recognizing Russian occupation or ceding additional territory and called for a full ceasefire as a precondition for peace talks.
Russian forces advanced in Donetsk Oblast over the summer, focusing their main efforts around the cities of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka. Yet, Russia failed to consolidate its positions or achieve significant territorial gains.
