Zelenskyy is demanding U.S. sanctions after Trump held a friendly call with Putin, as Russian strikes intensify and peace talks stall.
At a Glance
- President Trump held a one-hour call with Putin, who vowed retaliation for Ukrainian drone strikes.
- Zelenskyy rejected Putin’s demand to withdraw from Ukrainian territory, calling it non-negotiable.
- Trump admitted his promised 100-day peace deal has failed, now at day 118 without resolution.
- Ukraine continues to face nightly Russian drone barrages, shooting down 61 of 95 in a single attack.
- Zelenskyy urged the U.S. to impose new sanctions, warning that inaction implies shared responsibility.
Strategic Rift Widens
As Russian drones pounded Ukrainian cities, President Donald Trump picked up the phone for an hour-long call with Vladimir Putin—a gesture that infuriated Kyiv. According to Trump’s own recounting, Putin warned he would “have to respond” to Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian airfields. Rather than push back, Trump called the exchange “a good conversation,” though he acknowledged it would not bring “immediate peace.”
The call marks a troubling milestone: day 118 of Trump’s presidency, well beyond his campaign promise to end the war within 100 days. No ceasefire is in place, and Russia’s aggression has escalated. Ukraine’s Air Force reported intercepting 61 of 95 drones launched overnight, while the U.S. Embassy issued new alerts for citizens to prepare for sheltering amid intensifying strikes.
Watch a report: Trump-Putin call ignites backlash.
“It’s Our Land”: Zelensky’s Line in the Sand
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy flatly rejected Russia’s call to withdraw troops from four partially occupied regions. “It’s our land,” he said, “we won’t withdraw our troops.” The Kyiv Independent confirmed Zelenskyy’s remarks came after Putin demanded the relinquishment of eastern territories and Crimea—conditions Kyiv deems tantamount to surrender.
Despite this hardline stance from Moscow, Trump’s administration is framing the call as a step toward negotiation. Trump’s aides announced that “talks toward a ceasefire” would begin, though recent discussions in Istanbul collapsed over the same uncompromising demands.
European allies are reportedly growing anxious. According to diplomatic sources cited by ABC News, the EU is considering a joint ultimatum with the U.S., demanding an immediate ceasefire backed by new sanctions if Russia fails to de-escalate.
Sanctions: America’s Untapped Arsenal
Zelenskyy’s outrage has grown sharper with each passing day of U.S. inaction. In a recent statement shared on Twitter, he warned, “If the powerful do not stop Putin, it means they share responsibility with him.” Kyiv has repeatedly asked the U.S. to impose sanctions on Russian banks and energy exporters, especially those circumventing existing measures via China or India.
Yet despite bipartisan calls—including from Senator Lindsey Graham—for harsher sanctions on energy trade, the Trump administration has yet to act. Critics say this hesitation is enabling Putin’s war machine, granting Moscow both time and leverage in stalled negotiations.
The question now facing the world’s most powerful democracy is whether it is willing to wield its full economic arsenal—or if, by choosing restraint, it becomes a silent partner in Putin’s strategy of attrition.
