Zelenskyy Seeks Trump's Gaza-Style Pressure to End Ukraine War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested that US President Donald Trump's successful mediation in the Gaza conflict offers a potential model for ending Russia's war in Ukraine. During a Fox News interview Sunday, Zelenskyy stated the Gaza ceasefire "gives signals for us, and hope that with such pressure, what President Trump used in the Middle East to make peace, and I hope that he will use the same instrument – even more – to pressure Putin to stop his war in Ukraine."

The Ukrainian leader emphasized the critical importance of implementing secondary sanctions against Russia, describing them as "very painful for Russia" while acknowledging that their implementation "depends on President Trump's will." Zelenskyy specifically requested US support for "this package of secondary sanctions" while recognizing European progress in reducing energy dependence on Russia, noting Europe "decreased 80% of their contracts on energy during all this period of war" though characterizing this achievement as insufficient.

Regarding potential US deliveries of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, Zelenskyy confirmed both governments are actively discussing the matter following Trump's statement last Monday that he was nearing a decision on the weapons transfer. The Ukrainian president provided explicit assurances that such weapons would target exclusively military objectives, stating "We never, even with all this pain of losses, attacked their civilians. That's why, if we speak about long range, we speak only about military goals." Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously warned that Tomahawk deliveries would fundamentally damage US-Russian relations and escalate the conflict.

Zelenskyy's comments followed his second telephone conversation with President Trump over the weekend, which he characterized as "very productive" and focused on Ukrainian defensive capabilities and related matters. A high-level Ukrainian delegation comprising Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak, and Sanctions Policy Commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk is scheduled to visit the United States this week, indicating ongoing high-level coordination between Kyiv and Washington regarding the conflict.