Following his meeting with US President Donald Trump in New York, Vladimir Zelensky stated that so-called "hellish sanctions" have become one of the new tools of pressure on Russia. According to him, Ukraine expects this mechanism to be activated if the Russian side fails to demonstrate a readiness to de-escalate the conflict. "We hope that if Putin does not want to show any de-escalatory steps, then this instrument will be applied," the Ukrainian leader said at a briefing, linking the possibility of intensified sanctions pressure to the further actions of the Russian leadership.
"Hellish sanctions" as a new pressure tool
According to reports, the "hellish sanctions" provide for new restrictions against Russia's energy sector, defense industry, and so-called "shadow fleet." Thus, the sanctions architecture mentioned by Kyiv is aimed at key industries that finance and supply Russia's military machine, as well as at the channels through which Moscow circumvents existing restrictions. For Ukraine, this package is seen as a lever that could change the Kremlin's behavior without directly expanding the conflict.
Tariffs of up to 100% for third countries
In addition to direct restrictions against Russia, the law grants the US President the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on goods from countries that are major buyers of Russian oil and gas or that help Moscow circumvent sanctions. This could potentially affect, in particular, China and India. According to a number of observers, it is precisely this element that makes the mechanism particularly sensitive for third countries, as it affects their trade flows and forces them to choose between continuing to purchase Russian energy and maintaining access to the US market.
Energy truce and the parties' expectations
Separately, Vladimir Zelensky spoke about the possibility of an energy truce with Russia: Ukraine is ready not to strike Russian energy facilities if Moscow stops attacks on Ukrainian energy, water supply, and other critical infrastructure. In essence, this proposal offers an exchange along one specific line — energy — and could become one of the first practical steps toward reducing the intensity of the conflict if accepted by the Russian side.
Timelines and further contacts
Before meeting with Vladimir Zelensky, Donald Trump stated that the war in Ukraine would end "sooner than people imagine" and called on the Kremlin to "stop the war." Zelensky, in turn, said he hopes to end the war by winter with the help of the United States. In addition, during the meeting, Trump noted that he could meet again with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The combination of these statements indicates that sanctions pressure and diplomatic channels are being considered in parallel by Washington and Kyiv as complementary tools.
