Ukrainian President Meets Trump Urges US Sanctions On Russia

US President Donald Trump with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky/DOK PHOTO White House via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet Donald Trump at UN headquarters, New York. Zelenskyy urged new sanctions against Russia, in a new attempt to persuade the US president to firmer support Kyiv's war efforts.

Zelenskyy's main goal is to discuss ways to increase Ukraine's air defenses and arrange meetings between Russian and Ukrainian leaders as part of Trump's peace efforts, a source at the Ukrainian delegation told Reuters.

The US president threatened to take economic steps against Moscow, but said he wanted US allies to take the same step and ridiculed European powers for continuing to buy Russian energy despite the war.

Kyiv's hopes of winning new US sanctions tougher on Russia have faded.

Ukraine's new pragmatism has made Zelenskyy's latest talks with Trump less tense than previous meetings, with lessons learned from a dispute in the Oval Room, the White House, in February.

Although Kyiv does not expect new US direct military assistance, its war efforts rely heavily on the division of US intelligence and a new mechanism that allows Europe to buy US weapons such as air defenses.

This makes maintaining relations with Trump important for Kyiv, although the Ukrainian people are disappointed that he has changed his policy direction from the clear military and diplomatic support Kyiv received by former President Joe Biden.

The Ukrainian people were shocked when Trump gave Russian carpet remarks to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Alaska and believed Moscow would not stop its war unless it faced heavy external pressure, including sanctions.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose punitive economic measures against Russia, but has not followed up to date, which US officials say is an attempt to provide opportunities for peace efforts.