ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia’s ability to sustain its war against Ukraine will be decided not by President Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric but by the level of Western pressure, stressing that effective sanctions could limit Moscow’s capacity to continue fighting.

Speaking to journalists ahead of his trip to Brussels, Zelenskyy dismissed recent statements by Putin about maintaining control over Russian-controlled Ukrainian territories as familiar messaging rather than a sign of strength.

“The signals that Putin is giving are absolutely nothing new to us. I have always said that he does not want to end the war. The question is, can he continue it? This question already depends on our partners, on their pressure – sanctions first of all, and diplomatic pressure,” he said.

He added that he does not believe the Russian economy is capable of sustaining the war on the same scale as before if sanctions pressure is properly enforced.

Zelenskyy also confirmed that the US is conveying its readiness to end the war to Moscow through both public and private channels, saying Ukraine supports this diplomatic momentum despite serious challenges.

“We do not agree with all the features of certain future agreements. You know about this. We have questions; there are some disagreements regarding the territorial issue, financing, frozen assets, and some other issues that are not agreed upon,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader said that if Putin slows down what he described as the most active diplomatic process in recent times, the US would have to increase pressure on Russia.

A day earlier, Putin said Russia favors a diplomatic settlement but would continue military operations if Ukraine and its partners refuse to “talk about the substance.”

He has also said that hostilities would end only if Ukrainian forces withdraw from areas of Donbas currently under Kyiv’s control.