Russia will escalate the war further before winter unless international partners increase pressure on it—specifically through the imposition of U.S. sanctions and the tightening of European Union sanctions—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated.
“In recent days, during our meetings, Ukraine has openly informed our partners: Russia will only escalate as winter approaches unless there is pressure. For diplomacy to work, U.S. sanctions must be implemented and European sanctions must be strengthened. Our partners hold the keys to peace – through strength. The Russians must understand that they will not be able to simply wait this out and that the war must be brought to an end,” Zelenskyy said on X Friday.
He also expressed condolences to the family and loved ones of the 14-year-old boy who was killed when a Russian drone struck a multi-story residential building in Kyiv.
“An absolutely savage and sickening strike, devoid of any military logic,” he noted.
According to him, a total of eight regions have come under attack since the start of the day. One person was killed in Odesa following a repeated strike on a postal terminal, and shelling resulted in injuries in Sumy and Mykolaiv regions. Additionally, Russian forces struck a medical clinic in Zaporizhia while people were inside.
