Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he expects further sanctions relief for Russia, warning that easing pressure would encourage more killing, while saying a meeting with U.S. officials could happen next week.
In answers to journalists’ questions shared on X, Zelenskyy pointed to a diesel agreement and a move involving the Lindsey Graham Act as steps he feared would be followed by others.
“Sanctions relief will continue. I think the diesel deal and the move regarding the Lindsey Graham Act are not the end of it. Unfortunately,” he said.
Zelenskyy thanked Democrats and Republicans who supported Graham’s legislation, describing its bipartisan backing as a major victory. He called the decision to undo and block that effort wrong.
“And it definitely helps only the Russians,” he said.
“It only fuels their satisfaction and their desire to keep killing people. This certainly does not stop the war.”
Recalling his relationship with Graham, Zelenskyy said Graham had visited Ukraine, strongly supported the country and pressed for as much assistance as possible.
U.S. Talks Could Take Place Next Week
Zelenskyy said the American side had signaled that a meeting with Ukrainian representatives could happen next week. Ukraine was prepared to meet in Ukraine or Europe, or travel to the United States if invited.
“We’re counting on them to put more pressure on Putin, not on us,” he said. “Otherwise, it’s simply unfair.”
Ukraine was ready for bilateral, trilateral or broader negotiations, Zelenskyy said. “What matters is peace.”
He also urged European governments to establish their own channel for negotiations with Russia. He planned to speak with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about maritime and food security, and with representatives of Middle Eastern countries.
The United States was working on a proposed trilateral meeting involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Zelenskyy. Washington had mentioned the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia as possible hosts.
Other possibilities included a meeting in the United States during the G20 summit or in a European country. Zelenskyy said European officials were beginning contacts about a possible meeting.
Neither Russia nor the United States had confirmed the proposed trilateral meeting, he said.
Warning About Attacks Through Belarus
Asked about the threat of increased attacks on western Ukraine, Zelenskyy said he believed Russia was preparing for them.
He accused Russia of placing relay stations in Belarus to use its territory as a corridor for drones and intensify attacks. Russia also needed Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko’s support to deploy other weapons there, including ballistic missiles, he said.
The claims about Russian preparations and intentions have not been independently verified.
Zelenskyy said he was sure Putin intended to pursue such deployments. Ballistic missiles based in Belarus would primarily threaten western Ukraine and directly draw Belarus into the war, he warned.
“And, in my view, it would be very dangerous,” he said. “Certainly for Belarus as well.”
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