Ukraine’s president has a really clear message for Donald Trump – you alone have the facility to cease Vladimir Putin, and the time to behave is now.
Assembly with me in Kyiv on the eve of the US president’s state go to to Britain, Volodymyr Zelenskyy bristled with frustration on the failure of the Western powers to ramp up stress on the Kremlin, even because the Russians escalated their assaults on Ukraine.
Requested if the summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska has confirmed a mistake, he responded with out hesitation that Putin is clearly not paying a worth for his actions.
“He should have received a setback in this war and stop. Instead, he received de-isolation,” he stated.
“He definitely wants to trick the US. He is doing everything he can to avoid sanctions, to prevent the US and Trump from putting sanctions on him.”
Picture:
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska final month. Pic: Reuters
Zelenskyy believes Trump is reluctant to place stress on Putin as a result of it’d jeopardise makes an attempt to finish the conflict.
However the Ukrainian chief argues this is not the best way to deal with the Russian president: “He understands force. That’s his language. That’s the language he understands. He doesn’t speak many languages, but that’s the language of force he understands – just like Russian, you know, his mother tongue.”
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
1:27
Russia rehearses for conflict
Zelenskyy additionally argued Trump’s emphasis on getting the Europeans to ratchet up financial stress – foremost by stopping their purchases of Russian power, and by placing tariffs on different consumers like China and India – was comprehensible, however that the world’s superpower should not look ahead to others to behave.
Trump has referred to as on EU international locations to finish all Russian oil and fuel purchases, and solely then will he think about imposing sanctions on Russia.
“I think the US is strong enough on its own,” Zelenskyy stated.
“They can make this happen quicker and all that’s lacking now is a strong sanctions package from the US.”
