Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday said diplomacy alone will not stop Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging stronger financial pressure and suggesting former US President Donald Trump may be the only leader capable of halting Moscow’s aggression.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday delivered a stark warning that diplomacy alone will not deter Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressing the need for intensified economic measures to undermine Moscow’s war capabilities.

“No one has been able to stop Putin. Only Trump remains, he might be able to,” Zelenskyy said in a forceful statement, suggesting that the former US president could play a decisive role in restraining Russia.

He called for stronger enforcement of sanctions, particularly against Russia’s banking sector, shadow oil fleet, and military supply chains. Zelenskyy warned that rising oil prices — driven in part by Middle East tensions — were bolstering the Kremlin’s finances.

“Capping the price of Russian energy is critical,” he said. “Sanctions are powerful, when enforced … They’re about stopping the flow of deadly technology.”

Zelenskyy also voiced concern over what he described as a softening tone in the US-Russia dialogue. “Right now, the tone feels too warm… Any signals of reduced aid, or of treating Ukraine and Russia as equals, are deeply unfair,” he noted.

Rejecting Moscow’s latest cease-fire proposal, Zelenskyy said it amounted to an ultimatum and ignored Ukraine’s sovereignty. “What Russia offered is not a peace plan. It’s an ultimatum,” he said.

“Ukraine has shown it is ready to do everything for peace — everything except surrender,” he added.

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