President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pledged a concrete response to Russian attempts to damage Ukraine's relations with its partners and noted progress in the US Congress toward tougher sanctions against the aggressor state, according to his latest address.
"We are closely monitoring and documenting all Russian attempts to break our relations with partners, we see which lobbyists Moscow is recruiting, through whom it is trying to act, what internal operations it is attempting to launch in Ukraine and Europe," Zelenskyy said. "Our countermeasures will be significant – through our intelligence services, our reconnaissance agencies, political cooperation with partners, and, in particular, sanctions."
The president highlighted movement in the US Congress on stricter sanctions against Russia, specifically targeting Russian oil. "It is important that there is renewed movement in the US Congress toward tougher sanctions against Russia, against Russian oil. This can really work," he said.
Zelenskyy said that on 10 January, Chief of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov briefed him on some of the meetings within the diplomatic track. The president said he is awaiting a full report from the entire negotiating team.
Daily communication with the American side continues, Zelenskyy noted. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov was again in contact with American partners on 10 January. "This is our strategic task – dialogue with America must be one hundred percent constructive. Ukraine has never been and will never be an obstacle to diplomacy, and our effectiveness in working with partners is always of the highest level. It will remain so going forward," the president said.
According to Zelenskyy, he discussed sanction policy with Budanov in detail. The president said that last year new cooperation was established with many partners to synchronize sanctions, but the pace needs to become "significantly greater."
