"President Trump is concerned about escalation. But I think that if there are no negotiations, there will be an escalation anyway. I think that if Putin doesn't stop, we need something to stop him. Sanctions is one such weapon, but we also need long-range missiles," Zelensky said."
"My talks with President Trump were about pressure on Russia. I think he wanted to pressure them, but he didn't want to make an escalation or close the window ... for diplomacy," he said."
"I think that we understood each other," Zelensky said. "President Trump said we have to freeze the current situation and speak.""
"As far as I know, the conversation between Rubio and Lavrov was not positive. They did the same after Alaska. This is the third or fourth time when Putin and his people reject what Trump says," Zelensky contended."
Zelensky said sanctions will make a difference but argued that stronger pressure is necessary if negotiations fail. He emphasized the need for long-range missiles alongside sanctions to stop further Russian escalation. Meetings in Washington included tense exchanges over a possible peace deal and Ukraine's request for Tomahawk missiles. Zelensky indicated willingness to accept freezing the front lines as a basis for talks. After Putin rejected more moderate proposals and a call between Rubio and Lavrov produced no progress, plans for a summit with Putin were canceled and sanctions were imposed.
Read at Axios
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]