Zelenskyy to Urge Trump for Sanctions on Russia, Calls on Allies to “Stop Wasting Time”

Ukrainian president will urge his US counterpart to impose more sanctions on Russia when they meet next week

According to Rokna, citing The Guardian, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will urge U.S. President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Russia when they meet next week at the United Nations in New York and has called on Ukraine’s allies to “stop wasting time.”

Zelenskyy stated that he expects further sanctions to be imposed if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to meet him for face-to-face talks or to agree to a ceasefire. “If the war continues and there are no moves towards peace, we expect sanctions,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly threatened action against Russia but has so far failed to follow through. Last week, he said the United States was ready to “do major sanctions” – but only after all NATO countries agreed to stop buying oil from Russia and imposed tariffs on China, another major importer.

Speaking to a group of journalists in Kyiv, including the Guardian, Zelenskyy expressed frustration at the pace of events. He criticized the idea of “tying up” possible U.S. sanctions with demands on European countries to act first, saying it only “slows down the pressure on Putin.”

“President Trump expects strong action from Europe. I think we are wasting a lot of time if sanctions are not imposed or some steps are not taken that we very much expect from him [Trump],” Zelenskyy said from his presidential office.

Trump’s close allies Hungary and Slovakia have refused to cut energy ties with Moscow. They remain the last two EU members still purchasing Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline. Ukraine bombed the pipeline last month, prompting an angry response from Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Zelenskyy called for “the whole of Europe” to impose sanctions. He added that Trump could “push” European countries to do more, noting that Slovakia’s pro-Russian government would likely respond to American pressure. “Everyone is looking to the United States,” he said.

The Ukrainian president reiterated his willingness to meet Putin in any format—either one-on-one or “trilaterally,” with the U.S. president present. The Kremlin insists that the “root causes” of the conflict must be addressed before such a meeting can take place, referring to Ukraine’s capitulation.

During his trip to New York, Zelenskyy will also seek clarification on what security guarantees the U.S. is willing to provide as part of a peace settlement. He said that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had raised this question with Trump during the U.S. president’s state visit to the United Kingdom and their talks at Chequers.

Zelenskyy added that his wife, Olena, will “most likely” meet U.S. First Lady Melania Trump in New York to discuss the return of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia. The First Lady is widely seen as more sympathetic to Kyiv than the president, who reportedly criticized Zelenskyy during their February meeting in the Oval Office.

Their last encounter at the White House in August was more successful, with several European leaders, including Starmer, joining Zelenskyy for discussions. Next week’s bilateral meeting will take place amid provocative Russian actions in Europe, including the violation of Estonian airspace by three Russian fighter jets last Friday.

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is increasingly using long-range drones to target enemy energy facilities supplying Russia’s military. Early on Saturday, drones struck the Saratov oil refinery for the second time in a week, with video footage showing explosions and flames. Another strike damaged a refinery in Samara Oblast.

The Ukrainian president predicted that Russia’s fuel crisis, which has caused long queues for petrol in parts of the country, will worsen. He noted that Kyiv is closing the gap with Moscow in drone production but requires additional funding to finance its domestic weapons manufacturing.

Overnight, Russia carried out a large-scale drone and ballistic missile attack on Ukraine. At least three people were killed when a missile carrying cluster munitions hit an apartment building in Dnipro. Other regions, including Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, and Zaporizhzhia, were also targeted.

Writing on social media, Zelenskyy said the Kremlin is not targeting military sites but executing a “deliberate strategy” aimed at terrorizing civilians and destroying infrastructure.

“A strong international response is needed,” he said, urging Europe to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses and increase weapons supplies.