Zelensky: If no meeting with Putin takes place, we expect tougher sanctions against Russia

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that if Russian leader Vladimir Putin refuses to agree to a meeting, the United States should intensify its sanctions pressure on Russia.

He made this clear while speaking to journalists, reports a Ukrinform correspondent.

“We expect sanctions if no meeting between the leaders takes place, or, for example, no ceasefire is agreed. It all depends on the willingness of the parties. We have expressed support for this idea—you know this, it is no secret. If the war continues and there are no steps toward peace, we expect sanctions,” Zelensky said.

He noted that he would raise this issue during his upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, scheduled to take place in New York next week.

“President Trump expects strong action from Europe. I expressed my view: I think we are losing a lot of time if we wait, if sanctions are not imposed, or if certain steps we very much expect from him are not taken. Of course, we support the idea of all of Europe imposing sanctions and tightening tariff policies against countries that purchase Russian energy resources. But tying everything together in this way only delays the pressure on Putin,” the President of Ukraine stressed.

He once again underscored his readiness to meet with Vladimir Putin.

“We are ready for a meeting with Putin. I have said this—both in a bilateral and trilateral format. He is not ready,” Zelensky noted.

Read also: Zelensky shares his expectations for the meeting with Trump in New York

As reported, a meeting between the Presidents of Ukraine and the United States is scheduled for next week in New York. The previous meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump took place on August 18 at the White House. Its main focus was on discussing a peaceful settlement of Russia’s war against Ukraine. At that time, it was agreed that the next step toward peace would be a bilateral or trilateral meeting of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. However, Russia has consistently avoided agreeing to such negotiations.