Zelensky Tells Trump He “Has To Do More” As Europe Pushes Putin Toward Talks – JP
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has used a visit to the scene of a Russian missile strike to outline to Washington what he believes Europe can do to help bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and what more he expects from the United States, including a pointed message for Donald Trump.
“Europeans can help us, which will push Putin toward negotiations, but Americans can do more. I think Trump can do more, and he has to do more because there are so many losses,” the Ukrainian leader stated during his remarks at the scene of the tragedy, circulated on X Thursday.
By Ukraine’s own figures, as reported by Ukrinform, 22 people, including five children, were killed in Wednesday’s missile strike on a five-story residential building in Pryluky, in the Chernihiv region, and 54 people were injured. On Thursday, Zelensky visited the scene together with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband. Meanwhile, another strike hit Kramatorsk during the trip. As reported by Ukrinform, the death toll from the attack on two buses there has reached 33.
During the briefing, the President said what he expected from the Americans. “In our view, the United States should raise the pressure through sanctions and other measures, as well as through financial assistance and separate assistance to Ukraine with air defense,” he said. “And through such steps (…) force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table.”
Ukraine’s President had earlier stressed the need for more air defense systems from its partners, not least the UK. The problem, he noted, was that Ukraine is a large country and any attack can come from anywhere. So, he said, the country was short of air defense systems.
Miliband, who joined Zelensky on the trip, announced a fresh set of sanctions targeting Russian oil firms, a shadowy fleet of oil tankers, as well as online payment systems, and providers of machines and electronics that can be used to make weapons, according to the Press Association. There are 38 designations on the list, and the UK said on Thursday it has now sanctioned more than 90 percent of Russia’s oil production capacity.
Trump has repeatedly stated his desire for an end to the conflict in Ukraine. He urged both Russia and Ukraine to negotiate a peace agreement on multiple occasions. Now, the leader of Ukraine is sending a public message to Trump that he “has to do more.” The White House had not responded to the remarks at the time of publication.