Zelensky thanks Trump for the productive ” discussions ” before the deadline of the ceasefire

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said that he and Donald Trump had discussed sanctions against Russia, defense cooperation and drone production before a visit to Moscow by American envoy Steve Witkoff.

Thanking Trump for “productive” talks on Tuesday, Zelensky said that Moscow was particularly “sensitive” to the prospect of sanctions.

Trump previously said that if Russia did not accept a cease-fire with Ukraine by Friday, it will face heavy sanctions or see secondary sanctions imposed on all those who exchange with him.

Witkoff will be in Moscow on Wednesday and should meet Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin mainly launched the threat of Trump’s sanctions, although spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted last week that the Russian economy had “developed a certain immunity” to sanctions because of their underwear for so long. Trump also admitted that he did not know if the sanctions “bother” Putin.

The President may hopes that Russia’s business partners will be sufficiently embarrassed by the prices they will choose to turn away from the purchase of Moscow oil – in the end, a breach in the revenues that the Kremlin needs to continue war in Ukraine.

Trump said on Monday that he would impose new prices for new prices on India, a major Russian oil buyer, accusing him of not worrying about “how many people in Ukraine are killed by the Russian war machine”. The Kremlin said that “waiting to force countries to reduce trade relations with Russia” were “illegal”.

In his telegram, Zelensky said that he and Trump also spoke of the “increased brutality” of Russian strikes on Ukraine.

The American president previously referred to the repeated attacks of Moscow against Ukrainian cities, signaling the irritation that bombing often follows “beautiful” telephone conversations between him and Putin.

Last February, Zelensky was invited to leave the White House after a disastrous meeting in which the American president accused him of not being grateful for American aid and “playing with the Second World War”.

The two men have gradually repaired their relationship. In July, Trump said the United States would sell “high-end weapons” to NATO members who then transmitted it to kyiv-and this week it was announced that Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden would be the first countries to buy weapons in the United States as part of this program.

Their combined contributions will be equivalent to more than $ 1 billion and will go to air defense and ammunition equipment.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said that the speed was “absolutely critical” and that Denmark would be willing to consider additional funding later.

More than three years after the invasion of Russia on a large scale, Ukrainian cities continue to undergo heavy bombing and regular drone attacks. During the last day, six people were killed in eastern Ukraine, the authorities said.

Before taking office, Trump said on several occasions that he would be able to end the conflict in one day-and it was at his request that Russia and Ukraine sat for cease-fire talks for the first time last May.

But the discussions failed to bring the two parties of peace closer and the American president seemed to be more and more impatient with the lack of progress.

Despite Trump’s imminent deadline, Vladimir Putin poured cold water last week in all the hopes of a fast and long-term ceasefire with Ukraine. Although he said he saw talks with kyiv “positively”, he also noted that “all disappointments result from swollen expectations”.