Zelenskyy on the US and Russia agreement: actions without de-escalation only encourage the Kremlin

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in his address that any concessions and lifting of sanctions against Russia without clear de-escalation agreements would be a sign of weakness that would only encourage the Kremlin to continue the war. According to him, "gifts" to Putin will not bring peace, but Russia will respond with new terror; in the opinion of the head of state, allowing Russia to sell oil products finances the continuation of the war, which needs to be stopped.

The head of state commented on the talks between the leaders of the United States and Russia, as well as the recent decision by the EU to lift some sanctions on Russian oligarchs.

According to Zelenskyy, the Russian army is the weakest on the front lines during the entire period of the full-scale war this year, so the Kremlin is compensating for its failures with missile and drone attacks against the civilian population and the energy sector. He cited examples such as the strike on a residential building in Pryluky, the bombing of a bus in Kramatorsk, and daily attacks on infrastructure in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Odesa.

During a meeting with a bipartisan delegation from the U.S. Congress, Zelenskyy emphasized that tough sanctions, including those under the Lindsey Graham law, are needed to end the war, as well as support for the Ukrainian defense and systematic pressure on Russia. He also stressed Ukraine's willingness to take reciprocal de-escalatory steps and noted that he expects a strong and fair position from Washington in its dealings with Moscow, as real de-escalation is only possible from a position of strength, not from yielding.