President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed a firm conviction that, today, none of the international leaders, except Donald Trump, are capable of stopping Vladimir Putin in his aggressive and destabilizing actions
According to the head of the Ukrainian state, it is precisely the former President of the United States who has unique opportunities to influence the Kremlin and threaten its military ambitions by stopping it in its hostage-taking game. Zelenskyy's words were voiced during an interview with the American television channel Newsmax, in which the Ukrainian leader shared his views on implementing international pressure tools against Russia. Speaking about the need for action, the President emphasized that all attempts to restrain Putin in the past have proven unsuccessful. "No one except Trump can stop him. But for a strong influence to yield results, a systematic approach is needed. Putin must lose money — then he will not be able to increase his army, finance the military sector, and continue his aggression." That is why, according to him, it is very important to introduce and strengthen sanctions against Russia, maintaining them systematically and purposefully. Zelensky outlined key directions for such measures. These include, in particular, blocking the Russian banking sector, stopping the shadow economy and the fleet operating in the shadows, as well as controlling oil prices. Since the main source of income for the Kremlin is exactly the sale of energy resources, special attention is paid to implementing restrictions in this sphere. The President emphasized that oil constitutes the "price cap," i.e., a price threshold that determines the possibilities for the Russian regime to continue military aggression and finance its troops. Currently, according to him, rising oil prices due to the situation in the Middle East create an additional challenge for stability in Europe and the security of the entire continent as a whole. "It is very important to restrain the price caps because their level greatly influences many things in the long term. Current fluctuations in prices only increase risks and demonstrate how necessary it is to act decisively," Zelensky said. Talking about additional leverage, the President stated that sanctions in modern conditions are a powerful tool for stopping the supply of deadly technologies and components that the Russian authorities use to create large-scale and terrifying weapons. "It is not just economic restrictions — it is a way to stop the flow of equipment and materials that help the Kremlin maintain and develop its military machine. Stopping this flow means threatening the readiness of their terrifying weapons." Zelensky stressed the importance of systematic and coordinated actions by the international community, because it is precisely through sanctions and restrictions that real mechanisms can be created to restrain the Kremlin regime and protect the Ukrainian people and the entire democratic world from new acts of aggression. For Ukraine, in his view, the most important thing remains not only increasing military assistance but also effective international pressure on Moscow through a cohesive and consistent policy of economic sanctions, which the Ukrainian side will actively pursue.