Zelenskyy urges stricter Russia sanctions amid talks

In Short:
– Zelenskyy urged allies to intensify economic pressure on Russia amid ongoing U.S. peace talks.
– He warned that sanctions relief has emboldened Russia and escalated attacks on Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies on Sunday to increase economic pressure on Russia as peace talks with U.S. officials continued in Florida.He warned that recent U.S. sanctions relief had emboldened Russia, leading to an escalation of attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Sanctions call issued

Zelenskyy stated that Russia has launched approximately 1,550 drones and more than 1,260 guided bombs against Ukraine in the past week.

He claimed that eased sanctions enabled Moscow to increase crude oil sales, funding its war effort with these revenues.

Zelenskyy demanded that Russia’s shadow fleet of oil tankers should not feel secure in European waters.

His remarks followed the Trump administration’s issuance of a 30-day waiver on some Russian oil sanctions earlier this month.

Zelenskyy warned that this waiver could provide Moscow with an additional $10 billion for its war efforts, a sentiment echoed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Talks remained focused on the agenda, which included Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Russia was absent from the discussions, as confirmed by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

The last trilateral talks happened in Geneva on February 26, disrupted by the outbreak of the Iran conflict shortly after.