ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the EU for the 17th sanctions package it adopted against Russia on Tuesday.

“I thanked President of the European Commission @vonderLeyen and the entire EU for the 17th sanctions package. It is a step in the right direction,” Zelenskyy said on X following a phone conversation with Ursula von der Leyen.

Zelenskyy argued that it is important to impose tough restrictions against Russia, particularly on what he described as its "tanker fleet," which he claimed “serves to finance killings, as well as on all the schemes Russia uses to build up its military industry.”

“The more pressure there is on Russia, the more incentives Moscow will have to move toward genuine peace,” he added.

The Ukrainian president said he and von der Leyen discussed preparations for an 18th sanctions package by the 27-member bloc, defining “oil, energy trade infrastructure, banks, and financial schemes” as areas that “hurt Russia the most, and therefore contribute the most to peace.”

“We also discussed in detail yesterday’s conversation with (US) President (Donald) Trump and our joint diplomatic work with partners. Europe must be on board, and we are coordinating every step as closely as possible,” he added.

Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the 17th sanctions package against Moscow was approved, targeting nearly 200 ships belonging to Russia's "shadow fleet."