Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Telegram
The easing of sanctions and new revenues are increasing the risk of escalation in the war against Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin never intended to stop the war but only pretended to negotiate, fearing pressure from the United States, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with media outlets.
According to Zelenskyy, the situation around Iran and the partial easing of sanctions have significantly boosted Russia’s revenues. Over just two weeks of conflict in the Middle East, Russia earned about $10 billion.
At the same time, Zelenskyy stressed that sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States had been effective earlier, noting that at the beginning of 2026 Russia faced a budget deficit of more than $100 billion.
“Now we see that they have earned about $10 billion in two weeks of war in the Middle East. This is truly dangerous. It gives Putin more confidence that he can continue the war,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president added that Washington should increase pressure on Putin to force him to engage in genuine negotiations.
“I still believe that America must increase pressure on Putin. Otherwise he will not negotiate in good faith. He only wants to issue ultimatums to Ukraine, such as demanding that we withdraw our troops from our own territory. But that will not satisfy his appetite,” Zelenskyy explained.
