Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday pressed allies to hit Russia with “biting sanctions” after Moscow launched a record drone attack overnight targeting 10 regions in his war-torn country.
In a post on social platform X, Zelensky said it’s “telling” that Russia’s latest attack comes as President Trump has intensified efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement between the warring nations.
“This is a telling attack — and it comes precisely at a time when so many efforts have been made to achieve peace, to establish a ceasefire, and yet only Russia continues to rebuff them all,” Zelensky wrote about the overnight attack.
He then reiterated his call for sanctions in response.
“This is yet another proof of the need for sanctions – biting sanctions against oil, which has been fueling Moscow’s war machine with money for over three years of the war,” Zelensky wrote. “Secondary sanctions on those who buy this oil and thereby sponsor killings.”
“Our partners know how to apply pressure in a way that will force Russia to think about ending the war, not launching new strikes,” he added. “Everyone who wants peace must act.”
Zelensky’s latest call for action against Russia comes follow’s the Kremlin’s late-night bombardment on Ukraine, with the military firing 728 drones, including more than 300 Shahed drones, and 13 Iskander-K and Kinzhal missiles, according to the Ukrainian air force.
The leader characterized the “massive Russian attack on our cities” as having “the highest number of aerial targets in a single day,” since the war began more than three years ago.
The strike also comes a day after Trump lashed out at Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has resisted the American leader’s efforts to end the war with Ukraine.
“That is a war that it should have never happened. A lot of people are dying, and it should end,” Trump said Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
“We get a lot of bulls— thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless,” he added.
Earlier this week, the president also criticized a phone call he had with the Russian leader, calling it “disappointing” and suggesting “no progress” had been made on peace talks.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a Ukraine hawk and close ally of Trump, said on Tuesday that the Senate would move “soon” on a Russia sanctions package, which would impose a 500 percent tariff on imports from any country that buys Russian gas, uranium and oil.
Trump confirmed Tuesday that he is “looking at” the measure, which has more than 80 co-sponsors in the upper chamber.
