Putin is ‘tricking the US’ to escape sanctions

The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Vladimir Putin is attempting “to trick the US” to evade sanctions, which seems to be working.

This comes as Donald Trump has set quite a few deadlines threatening sanctions, but these have all since passed and nothing has happened.

President Zelensky told Sky News, “He (Putin) definitely wants to trick the US.

He’s doing everything he can to avoid sanctions, to prevent the US and Trump from putting sanctions on him.

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“If you keep postponing applying sanctions any further, then the Russians will be better prepared.”

He has called on the US President to take a “clear position” over sanctioning Russia as well as security guarantees for Ukraine.

The Ukrainian President added that “Donald Trump has enough force to make Putin afraid of him.”

He pointed out that the US President gave the Russian dictator an opportunity to escape his political isolation on 15 August at the Alaska summit evading all global arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court.

“He wanted to get out of political isolation with this Alaska summit. I think he had to pay more for this meeting with the US president. He should have got a blow in this war and stopped. Instead, he got de-isolation,” Zelensky said.

“He got photos with President Trump.

“He got public dialogue. And I think it opens doors for Putin to other summits, other formats. Because this is reality, we see it, we observe it. And I don’t think he paid anything for it.”

He added, “He has to pay. First, because he started the war. Second, because he is trying to find a way out of isolation.

“It is very important not to give Putin this space; otherwise, he will not feel that he has to stop the war.

“He is leading the war. And everybody is trying to stop him with discussions, with requests. But instead, force must be used. He understands force. This is his language. This is the language he understands.

“That is why we are asking very much the European countries and the US to do it, and to show it. Yes, they are taking some steps, like sanctions, but more must be done, and faster.”

President Zelensky added, “If it was a trilateral meeting (with Ukraine), we would have some result.”