Zelenskyy urges new U.S. sanctions against Russia as tensions escalate

On September 11, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on U.S. President Donald Trump to immediately implement stringent sanctions against Russia. Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv, Zelenskyy emphasized that these measures are critical to disrupting Russia’s ability to manufacture ballistic missiles and related weaponry during the ongoing escalation of attacks.

Zelenskyy stressed that such decisions must be taken rapidly and directly by President Trump. Following a visit to Canada, the Ukrainian leader announced plans to meet with President Trump in New York at the end of September. These discussions are intended to revive diplomatic efforts to end the war, which have been deadlocked since the beginning of the year. The meeting will follow visits by American envoys to Moscow and Kyiv.

Concurrently, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the deployment of European troops to Ukraine would be equivalent to a war against Russia. Putin maintained that his country poses no threat to Europe and accused European leaders of inventing an imaginary menace to alarm their populations.