Ukraine Urges U.S. to Sanction Russia If Summit With Putin Fails to Materialize
Ukraine has called on the United States to impose additional sanctions on Russia if Moscow refuses to agree to a summit with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Gaze reports this, referring to NBC News, citing Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsya.
He stated that the Kremlin is deliberately dragging out the peace process by manipulating both Washington and U.S. President Donald Trump.
“I see no indication that President Putin is prepared for substantive negotiations, whether bilateral or trilateral,” Kyslytsya said. “If Moscow rejects a meeting, the U.S. should move almost immediately to new sanctions once President Trump’s deadline expires. Only then will Russia feel the real cost of avoiding the path of peace.”
It highlight growing frustration in Kyiv as Trump weighs whether direct talks between the two wartime leaders could deliver progress. The U.S. president has said he expects to judge the prospects for peace “within two weeks.”
Earlier on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the prospect of a near-term summit, saying Putin would only meet Zelenskyy once a detailed “summit program” had been prepared. At present, he added, there are no such plans.
Kyslytsya framed the contrasting approaches starkly: “Two worlds, two perspectives – sabotage versus maximum desire to achieve progress.”
First Deputy Foreign Minister also stressed that Zelenskyy remains prepared to discuss sensitive issues, including territorial questions, directly with Putin if such a meeting is arranged.
He noted that Ukraine’s position is firmly guided by domestic law and public opinion, both of which rule out ceding land in exchange for peace.
“President Zelenskyy has said clearly he is willing to sit down and raise territorial issues, starting from the current line of contact. But this is a matter of dialogue – not concession,” Kyslytsya explained.
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