BERLIN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday said that Russia should face new sanctions if it does not agree to an “immediate ceasefire” at a summit with US President Donald Trump this week.
“We hope that the central topic at the meeting will be a ceasefire. An immediate ceasefire,” Zelenskyy said after a call with Trump and European leaders.
“Sanctions must be in place and must be strengthened if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire,” Zelenskyy added, speaking alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin.
Trump is due to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday and has said he wants to arrange a trilateral meeting including Zelenskyy.
Trump-Putin summit to take place on US military base
Ukraine in March agreed to a US proposal for a ceasefire and has said there can be no substantive peace talks with Russia without one.
Russia has rejected the ceasefire proposal and stalled on Zelenskyy’s call for direct talks with Putin.
“I have told my colleagues, the US president, and our European friends, that Putin definitely does not want peace,” Zelenskyy said.
He also said that Russia was “trying to put pressure on all parts of the Ukrainian front ahead of the meeting in Alaska”.
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