Ukraine is preparing to discuss new sanctions against Russia with the US administration, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in his evening address on 29 April.
The sanctions aim to push the Kremlin toward diplomatic negotiations to end the war, according to Zelenskyy.
This comes as Russia is openly backing from the accepting the proposals offered by the US and Ukraine. Kremlin is insisting on maximalist demands-including full Ukrainian withdrawal from Crimea and fours oblasts – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, a ban on Ukraine joining NATO, and the lifting of Western sanctions-while rejecting any ceasefire or peace deal that does not meet these conditions.
President Donald Trump suggested earlier the possibility of imposing tougher or large-scale banking and secondary sanctions on Russia if it does not agree to a ceasefire and a final peace settlement in Ukraine,
“We’re also preparing for talks with the US on new sanctions—we are identifying precisely those pressure points that will most effectively push Moscow toward diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said.
According to the Ukrainian president, the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) is preparing a new decision on sanctions. Ukraine is working to synchronize its sanctions with European partners.
“It’s important to keep applying pressure on Russia’s influence networks, as well as on all of their manufacturing and trade operations,” Zelenskyy stated.
He said that these efforts have already yielded results, particularly affecting closed Russian factories that supported military production.
Zelenskyy also mentioned Russia’s concerns about its upcoming military parade, which is to occure on 8-11 May.
Victory Day is a national holiday in Russia. It commemorates the Soviet Union’s Red Army’s liberation of territories occupied by German forces in 1944-1945. The Kremlin declared a truce from midnight between 7-8 May until midnight between 10-11 May. All combat operations reportedly will cease during this period.
“Right now, they’re worried about whether they can hold their military parade—and rightly so. But what they really should be worried about is that this war is still ongoing. They must end it,” Zelenskyy said.
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