JAKARTA - President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia's ability to sustain its war against Ukraine would not be determined by President Vladimir Putin's rhetoric, but by the level of Western pressure, stressing that effective sanctions could limit Moscow's ability to continue the battle.
Speaking to reporters ahead of his trip to Brussels, President Zelensky dismissed President Putin's recent remarks about retaining control of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory as a familiar message rather than a sign of strength.
"The signal given by Putin is absolutely nothing new for us. I have always said that he does not want to end the war. The question is, can he continue it? This question already depends on our partners, on their pressure - sanctions first and foremost, and diplomatic pressure," he explained, launching Anadolu (18/12).
Furthermore, he said he did not believe the Russian economy was capable of sustaining a war on the same scale as before if the pressure of sanctions was applied properly.
He said the US conveyed its readiness to end the war to Moscow through public and private channels, and said that Ukraine supported this diplomatic momentum despite facing serious challenges.
"We do not agree with all the features of some of the future agreements. You know about this. We have questions; there are some disagreements on territorial issues, funding, frozen assets, and some other issues that have not been agreed upon," he said.
The Ukrainian leader said that if the Russian leader slows down what he described as the most active diplomatic process in recent times, the US must increase pressure on Moscow.
A day earlier, President Putin said Russia supported a diplomatic settlement, but would continue military operations if Ukraine and its partners refused to "talk about the substance."
He also said that hostilities would only end if Ukrainian forces withdrew from the Donbas region, which is currently under Kyiv's control.
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