Volodymyr Zelenskyy asks Donald Trump to urgently impose severe sanctions against Russia: “Sometimes I don’t understand why decisions cannot be made quickly”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked his American counterpart, Donald Trump, on Friday to impose severe sanctions against Russia “right now” in order to limit its ability to produce ballistic missiles and other weapons, amid intensifying attacks on Ukraine.

The statement was made at the Yalta European Strategy forum, held in Kyiv. Zelenskyy insisted that decisions must be made quickly and that the American administration must adopt firm measures, including through direct involvement by President Trump.

The Ukrainian leader stated that Russia and Ukraine have intensified their long-range attacks, which are increasingly targeting civilian facilities and strategic infrastructure. Targets include factories, refineries, warehouses, energy and port facilities, as well as commercial vessels.

Zelenskyy warned that the approaching winter increases the risks to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Kyiv has limited air defense capabilities for intercepting Russian missiles.

The Ukrainian president announced that he intends to meet with Donald Trump at the end of September in New York. The meeting is expected to take place after visits by American envoys to Moscow and Kyiv, amid a diplomatic deadlock that has persisted since the beginning of the year.