Ukraine's leader accuses Russia's Putin of 'blocking peace'

ANKARA

Ukraine's leader in an extraordinary G7 virtual meeting on Tuesday accused his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of "blocking peace," noting that "there can be no dialogue with this leader of Russia, who has no future."

"Talks can be either with another head of Russia – who will comply with the UN Charter, the basic principles of humanity and territorial integrity of Ukraine – or in a different configuration, so that the key terrorist does not have the opportunity to influence key decisions through terror. Now one person is blocking peace – and this person is in Moscow," said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

As a "symmetric" response to Russia's recent strikes across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, Zelenskyy called to block Russia's energy sector with sanctions, "break the stability" of Russian revenues from oil and gas trade.

"A tough price cap is needed for the exports of oil and gas from Russia – zero profit for the terrorist state," he added.

Zelenskyy asserted that such steps can "bring peace closer" as it will encourage Moscow "to think about peace, about the unprofitability of war."

He claimed that Russia uses all means, including missile strikes, threats of a radiation disaster, infrastructural "sabotage" in Europe, and attempts to destroy Ukraine's energy facilities to "provoke chaos in Ukraine and entire democratic world."

Zelenskyy also offered the stationing of a mission of international observers on the Ukraine-Belarus border to monitor the security situation in the region amid attempts by Moscow to "directly draw" Belarus into the conflict.

"Ukraine did not plan and does not plan military measures against Belarus. We are only interested in restoring our territorial integrity," he stressed.

Air shield for Ukraine

As part of the defense support, Zelenskyy underlined the importance of an "air shield" for Ukraine.

"When Ukraine receives a sufficient number of modern and effective air defense systems, the key element of Russian terror – missile strikes – will cease to work," he said.

He thanked German and US leaders for providing modern missile defense and air defense systems to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy claimed that "according to intelligence," Moscow ordered 2,400 Shahed drones from Iran.

The Ukrainian president also asked the G7 country leaders to strengthen the overall effort to help financially with the creation of an air shield for Ukraine.

"Millions of people will be grateful to the Group of Seven for such assistance," he added.

Sanctions package

Thanking the "European friends" for the eighth sanctions package against Russia, Zelenskyy said the latest sanctions package "is not a punishment for Russia."

"Russia has started a new stage of escalation, and therefore a new sanctions package is needed – a strong package. And I ask you to develop it," he said.

The European Union officially adopted its eighth sanctions package against Russia in response to the partial mobilization and annexation of Ukrainian regions, the European Commission announced last week.

“This package introduces new EU import bans worth €7 billion ($6.96 billion) to curb Russia's revenues,” the EU executive body explained in a press statement.

The measures prohibit the import of Russian finished and semi-finished steel products, machinery and appliances, plastics, vehicles, textiles, footwear, leather, ceramics, certain chemical products, and non-gold jewelry.

The package also introduces export restrictions which will “further deprive the Kremlin's military and industrial complex of key components and technologies and Russia's economy of European services and expertise,” the statement added.

Under the new rules, the export of specific electronic components found in Russian weapons, technical items used in the aviation sector, as well as certain chemicals, is not allowed.

The measures also prohibit transporting oil to non-EU countries above a price cap agreed by the Group of Seven, the world’s most advanced economies.