Zelensky to urge Trump for stronger Russia sanctions at G7 summit

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday (Jun 12) that he hoped to press US President Donald Trump at the upcoming G7 summit to introduce tougher sanctions against Russia, as peace talks between the two sides remain stalled.

Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv, Zelensky said: “I count on having a conversation with President Trump at the G7. This sanctions package is very important... the final decision is still in the White House.”

Zelensky’s comments come as Moscow and Kyiv continue negotiations, most recently in Istanbul, that have so far yielded little beyond large-scale prisoner swaps. Russia has rejected calls for a ceasefire in its three-year invasion of Ukraine.

TRUMP EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was “very disappointed in Russia” but also in Ukraine, for failing to reach a peace agreement. “I think deals could have been made,” Trump told reporters at the White House. He estimated that up to 6,000 people were dying each week in the conflict, including civilians “getting hit by missiles.”

Trump has previously urged both sides to reach a settlement, but while he has threatened new sanctions on Moscow, these have yet to materialise. His return to the White House has also cast uncertainty over Washington’s military and financial support for Kyiv.

US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, is currently backing a bipartisan “bone-breaking” sanctions bill, proposing a 500 per cent tariff on countries that continue to import Russian oil and gas, particularly targeting China and India.

EUROPEAN CAUTION AND NEW PLEDGES

Germany, Ukraine’s second-largest defence backer after the US, signalled it would not send Taurus long-range missiles, a setback to Kyiv’s ambitions. “Asked whether we are considering this, my answer is no,” said German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius during a visit to Kyiv.

He did, however, announce a new €1.9 billion (US$2.2 billion) military aid package.

Zelensky appeared with Pistorius at the joint press conference and noted the urgency of maintaining and increasing military support. “We want to end this war this year,” he said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, speaking separately at a conference in Rome, warned against appeasement in dealing with Russia. “The diplomacy of appeasement does not work with Russia,” he said in what was widely seen as a veiled critique of Trump’s approach. 

CASUALTIES AND ONGOING ATTACKS

Russia has intensified drone and missile strikes in recent days, with two civilians killed in Donetsk on Thursday, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian forces have responded with drone attacks of their own.

In Russia’s Belgorod region, a two-year-old child was killed during one such Ukrainian strike, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

Tens of thousands have died since Russia invaded in February 2022. Millions more have been displaced, with large swathes of eastern Ukraine heavily damaged by continuous bombardment.

PRISONER SWAP OFFERS RARE BREAKTHROUGH

Amid the ongoing conflict, the warring sides completed another large prisoner swap on Thursday. Under an agreement reached in Istanbul, each side released more than 1,000 detainees, focusing on wounded soldiers and troops under the age of 25.

“Today, warriors of our Armed Forces, National Guard, and Border Guard Service are back home,” Zelensky wrote on social media. He added that many of the returnees were seriously injured and in need of medical attention.

Images published by Kyiv showed the Ukrainian servicemen smiling, wrapped in national flags, and calling loved ones. AFP reporters at the scene noted that many families gathered at the exchange site, hoping to learn about the fate of their missing relatives.

Russian state media broadcast images of Moscow’s returned prisoners chanting “Russia, Russia” and draped in national colours.

Moscow later accused Ukraine of not being ready to conduct prisoner swaps on a daily basis, despite that being an agreement made in Istanbul. Kyiv said more exchanges were planned in the coming days.