Sanctions, Negotiations and Hubbard: Trump Explains His Russia Policy
World
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called it unacceptable to hold him responsible for Russian aggression and urged Donald Trump to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin. The US president, meanwhile, has defended delaying further sanctions against Russia, saying restrictions could jeopardize negotiations with Moscow and linking his position to the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard.
“I think it is wrong and unacceptable that he places responsibility for Russian aggression on me. He changes the context. And that is unfair,” Zelensky said in an interview. The Ukrainian president added that he maintained good relations with Trump.
Zelensky argued that Trump could encourage Putin to engage more actively in negotiations if he used the same rhetoric toward the Russian leader that he directs at Ukraine. “But everyone shifts the responsibility onto us, and I, as the leader of our country, am made a target,” he said.
Zelensky also urged Trump to use sanctions approved by the US Congress. He said he did not know why the American president was not applying those measures. Suggestions that Trump might have special ties with Putin or be pursuing economic arrangements with Moscow were presented only as speculation.
Trump, for his part, said the United States had provided substantial assistance to Ukraine but received “nothing but grief, death and tremendous monetary loss” in return. He described Russia as a “big machine” that continued to advance and had occupied a large amount of territory. Trump argued that Ukraine must itself want to reach a deal, warning that the situation could otherwise become significantly worse. He also said Putin and Zelensky did not need to meet in person to secure a peace agreement.
Explaining his decision to hold back additional sanctions against Russia, Trump said restrictions could have undermined negotiations and prevented Hubbard’s return. When CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins asked whether delaying sanctions amounted to a concession in exchange for the American’s release, Trump responded with personal insults, calling her a “low IQ person” and a “dummy.”
The statements highlight a divide over how to approach the conflict: Zelensky is calling for stronger pressure on Moscow, while Trump argues that restraint on sanctions is necessary to preserve opportunities for negotiations.
Zelensky argued that Trump could encourage Putin to engage more actively in negotiations if he used the same rhetoric toward the Russian leader that he directs at Ukraine. “But everyone shifts the responsibility onto us, and I, as the leader of our country, am made a target,” he said.
Zelensky also urged Trump to use sanctions approved by the US Congress. He said he did not know why the American president was not applying those measures. Suggestions that Trump might have special ties with Putin or be pursuing economic arrangements with Moscow were presented only as speculation.
Trump, for his part, said the United States had provided substantial assistance to Ukraine but received “nothing but grief, death and tremendous monetary loss” in return. He described Russia as a “big machine” that continued to advance and had occupied a large amount of territory. Trump argued that Ukraine must itself want to reach a deal, warning that the situation could otherwise become significantly worse. He also said Putin and Zelensky did not need to meet in person to secure a peace agreement.
Explaining his decision to hold back additional sanctions against Russia, Trump said restrictions could have undermined negotiations and prevented Hubbard’s return. When CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins asked whether delaying sanctions amounted to a concession in exchange for the American’s release, Trump responded with personal insults, calling her a “low IQ person” and a “dummy.”
The statements highlight a divide over how to approach the conflict: Zelensky is calling for stronger pressure on Moscow, while Trump argues that restraint on sanctions is necessary to preserve opportunities for negotiations.
Powered by Froala Editor