The Ukrainian leader has claimed there should be tougher penalties if no peace talks happen
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has urged stronger sanctions against Russia if no three-way meeting is held between him, US President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The statement followed a call between Zelensky and Trump on Saturday, one day after the US leader met with Putin in Alaska without Ukraine’s participation.
Trump described his talks with Putin, which focused on ending the Ukraine conflict, as “warm,” and said the two leaders had “agreed on a lot.” He added that the sides were “pretty close to the end” of the conflict, but that “Ukraine has to agree” to any peace deal. The US leader also said he would attend a possible three-way summit, stating, “They both want me there, and I’ll be there.” The Kremlin has not confirmed any such format. Putin has said a trilateral meeting is possible but stressed that certain “conditions for meeting must be created.”
Recounting his conversation with Trump in a post on X on Saturday, Zelensky wrote that “sanctions are an effective tool.” They “should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting” or if Russia tries to evade what in his opinion is “an honest end to the war,” he added.
UK and EU leaders issued a joint statement on Saturday saying they “stand ready to uphold the pressure on Russia” and would keep strengthening sanctions and economic measures until there is a “just and lasting peace.”
Zelensky repeated his demand that Ukraine be included in all talks about its future, especially regarding territory. Trump has floated the idea of a “land swap” as part of a potential deal.
Zelensky also called for security guarantees from both Europe and the US. On Friday, Trump said Ukraine’s security won’t come “in the form of NATO.” Moscow has long insisted that Ukraine must commit to neutrality, stay out of NATO, undergo demilitarization and denazification, and recognize the status of the new Russian regions.
Zelensky is set to meet Trump in Washington on Monday. A three-way summit could follow as early as next week, according to Axios and CNN.
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