Zelenskyy: 'Sanctions must remain on the agenda to compel Russia into real talks'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that sanctions and tariffs must stay in place in order to pressure Russia into entering what he called “real negotiations” to end the war.

The president made the remarks following a meeting on Monday (25 August) with U.S. Special Envoy, General Keith Kellogg. Writing on his official X account, Zelenskyy said, “We discussed how we can influence the Russians, compel them to engage in real negotiations, and end the war. Sanctions, tariffs — everything must remain on the agenda.”

Zelenskyy stressed that agreements reached during a recent summit in Washington with European leaders carried major political, defence and economic significance for Ukraine. He described the summit as “a true demonstration of unity between Europe and America” and said the United States’ readiness to be part of Ukraine’s future security architecture was of particular importance.

Military cooperation was also a key topic of discussion. According to Zelenskyy, two main areas — arms procurement and agreements on drones — could significantly strengthen Ukraine’s arsenal. He added that work is continuing through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism to secure U.S.-made military equipment with funding from international partners.

On humanitarian issues, Zelenskyy underlined that the return of children abducted by Russia remained a top priority. He expressed hope that U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump would continue to make personal efforts to ensure their safe return.

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