Volodymyr Zelenskyy will urge Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Russia when they meet next week at the United Nations in New York, and has called on Ukraine\u2019s allies to \u201cstop wasting time\u201d.<\/p>\n
Zelenskyy said he expected further sanctions to be imposed if Vladimir Putin refuses to meet him for face-to-face talks or to agree to a ceasefire. \u201cIf the war continues and there are no moves towards peace we expect sanctions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Trump has repeatedly threatened to take action against Russia but has so far failed to follow through. Last week he said the US was ready to \u201cdo major sanctions\u201d \u2013 but only after all Nato countries agreed to stop buying oil from Russia<\/a>, and to put tariffs on China, another big importer.<\/p>\n Speaking to a group of journalists in Kyiv, including the Guardian, Zelenskyy expressed frustration at the pace of events. He said to \u201ctie up\u201d possible US sanctions with demands on European countries to move first was to \u201cslow down the pressure on Putin\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cPresident Trump expects strong action from Europe. I think we are wasting a lot of time if sanctions are not imposed or some steps are not taken, that we very much expect from him [Trump]\u201d, Zelenskyy said, speaking in his presidential office.<\/p>\n Russia fired more than 600 drones and missiles at Ukraine on Saturday, Ukraine said. Photograph: UKRAINIAN EMERGENCY SERVICE\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s close allies Hungary and Slovakia have refused to cut energy ties with Moscow. They are the last two EU members still buying Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline. Ukraine bombed it last month<\/a>, prompting an angry response from Hungary\u2019s prime minister, Viktor Orb\u00e1n.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy said he wanted the \u201cwhole of Europe\u201d to impose sanctions. He said Trump could \u201cpush\u201d European countries to do more and added that Slovakia\u2019s pro-Russian government was likely to respond to American pressure. \u201cEveryone is looking to the United States,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He reiterated his willingness to meet Putin in any format \u2013 either one to one, or \u201ctrilaterally\u201d, with the US president in the room. The Kremlin says the \u201croot causes\u201d of the conflict have to be addressed before this can happen, referring to Ukraine\u2019s capitulation.<\/p>\n During his New York trip Zelenskyy will also seek clarification on what security guarantees the US is willing to provide as part of a peace settlement. He said the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, raised this question with Trump during the president\u2019s state visit<\/a> to the UK and during their talks on Thursday in Chequers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy said that his wife, Olena, will \u201cmost likely\u201d meet Melania Trump in New York. They would discuss the return of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia. The US first lady is widely seen as being more sympathetic to Kyiv<\/a> than the president, who berated Zelenskyy during their February meeting in the Oval Office.<\/p>\n Their last White House encounter in August was more successful, with several European leaders including Starmer <\/a> joining Zelenskyy for talks. Next week\u2019s bilateral meeting takes place against a backdrop of provocative Russian actions in Europe, in which three Russian fighters jets on Friday violated Estonian airspace.<\/a><\/p>\n Trump and Zelenskyy earlier this year. Photograph: Joey Sussman\/Zuma Press Wire\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Zelenskyy said Ukraine was using an increasing number of long-range drones to target enemy energy facilities, used to supply Russia\u2019s military machine. Early on Saturday drones hit the Saratov oil refinery for the second time in a week<\/a>. Video showed explosions and flames. Another strike damaged a refinery in Samara oblast.<\/p>\n Ukraine\u2019s president predicted that Russia\u2019s fuel crisis, which has led to long queues for petrol in some areas of the country, would get worse. He said Kyiv was closing the gap with Moscow in terms of drone manufacture but needed more money to finance its homegrown production of weapons.<\/p>\n