Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the United States to impose severe sanctions against Russia immediately, speaking at the Yalta European Strategy forum in Kyiv on Thursday.
"Sanctions must be imposed now. These sanctions must be severe," Zelenskyy said. "To be honest, sometimes I don't understand why decisions cannot be made quickly."
Zelenskyy stated that measures targeting Russia's production of ballistic missiles and related weapons must be taken without delay. He emphasized the importance of the Trump administration making firm decisions, describing them as "personal decisions of President Trump."
The Ukrainian leader said sanctions could be imposed either through legislation, such as the late Senator Lindsey Graham's bill to increase sanctions pressure on Russia, or through direct action by the Trump administration. "Whether through the Lindsey Graham bill or by a decision of the administration, the sanctions must be stronger," Zelenskyy said.
He characterized sanctions as a non-military tool available to the United States to deprive Russia of the ability to finance its war against Ukraine on a daily basis. "Because during a war, it's sometimes better to make a decision that isn't perfect than to do nothing at all," Zelenskyy added.
According to Zelenskyy, decisions regarding economic and energy sanctions against Russia, as well as restrictions on its production of ballistic missiles and other weapons, should be taken urgently.
Zelenskyy said during a visit to Canada on Thursday that he planned to meet with Donald Trump in late September in New York. The meeting would follow visits by American emissaries to Moscow and Kyiv aimed at reviving diplomatic efforts around Ukraine, which have stalled since the beginning of the year.
Russia and Ukraine have conducted long-range strikes against each other for months, increasingly targeting civilian sites including factories, refineries, warehouses, and infrastructure.