Zelensky: Russia's budget deficit reaches $100B, but can be covered by oil sales
He stated this while speaking with journalists, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
"For 2026, they had a deficit of $100 billion. This is the projected deficit. But over these 14–15 days they have earned about $10 billion. So they can simply cover this deficit if the war continues. And if the sanctions policy is weakened, Russia will earn money," Zelensky said.
He noted that if there are no sanctions, then "there is only Ukrainian weaponry fighting to prevent the Russians from earning money."
"Strikes deep inside Russia, especially against the defense industry and the oil sector, have definitely worked. We understand their losses," he said, adding that such actions alone are not enough.
According to him, he will continue to persuade Western partners of the need to maintain the sanctions regime against Russia.
"We discussed this with the president of France. They are fighting the tanker fleet, as are some European colleagues and Donald Trump. I am grateful to him. I thanked him for stopping several Russian tankers. But now all tankers can unload, and they will earn money. With the president of France and with European leaders we are talking about stopping and confiscating Russian oil. But this requires appropriate decisions and changes," he noted.
As previously reported, the United States Department of the Treasury issued a license allowing the sale of Russian crude oil and petroleum products already loaded onto ships. The license temporarily allows countries to purchase Russian oil currently "stuck at sea."
The permit will be valid from March 12 to April 11.
