Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has openly backed US President Donald Trump’s move to impose steep tariffs on countries trading with Russia, including India. In an interview with American broadcaster ABC, Zelensky said Moscow’s energy trade was “Putin’s weapon” against Ukraine and urged the international community to cut all ties with Russian oil and gas.
“I think the idea to put tariffs on countries who continue to make deals with Russia is a right idea,” Zelensky said when asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China.
Trump has already doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 percent, adding an extra 25 percent duty specifically over India’s purchase of Russian crude oil. New Delhi has slammed the US decision as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” while reiterating its calls for peace and an end to the Ukraine conflict.
Journalist Shashank Mattoo shared Zelensky’s remarks on X, quoting him as saying:
“It is the right idea to put tariffs on countries that continue to make deals with Russia.”
The Ukrainian leader also criticized European partners for still buying Russian energy despite the war. “We all understand that we need additional pressure on Putin… energy is his weapon. We have to stop buying any kind of energy from Russia,” he said.
Zelensky further commented on Putin’s recent high-profile meeting with Trump in Alaska, calling it “a pity Ukraine was not there.” He added that Putin wanted to showcase his relevance by being seen alongside the US President.
Rejecting Putin’s invitation to Moscow for talks, Zelensky said bluntly: “He can come to Kyiv. I can’t go to Moscow when my country is under missiles.”
His remarks came hours before Trump threatened fresh sanctions on Russia after its biggest-ever aerial assault on Ukraine killed four people and set government buildings ablaze in Kyiv. The escalation followed the August 15 Trump-Putin summit, which failed to achieve a ceasefire.
Zelensky said he was counting on a “strong” response from Washington, stressing: “This is the only way to stop the killer — take away his weapon.”
