Zelensky: Russia is dragging out the war, fearing new US sanctions

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia is not interested in ending the war and is taking steps to delay its conclusion and avoid new US sanctions.

As reported by TUT.AZ with reference to "European Truth," the head of the Ukrainian state said this on August 22 in Kyiv during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

According to Zelensky, both two weeks ago before the summit in Alaska and today, Russia is trying to issue ultimatums and delay the process of ending the war. He noted that the Russian side is making every effort to prevent US President Donald Trump from imposing new sanctions against it and to prevent Washington from increasing pressure.

Zelensky emphasized that Moscow is not interested in holding a bilateral summit with Ukraine, as it does not actually seek to end hostilities. "The Russians are trying to avoid the meeting. It's not just about the summit - it's about the fact that they don't want to end the war. The meeting is just one of the steps towards its conclusion," he explained.

The President of Ukraine added that there are no agreements with Russia about a possible meeting, while there is an agreement with President Trump, who, according to him, is the only one "capable of stopping Putin."