Russia seeks to undermine Ukraine's ties with its partners, Zelenskyy says, warning of "tangible" response

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed a "tangible" response to the Kremlin's attempts to undermine Ukraine's relations with its partners. He also noted movement in the US Congress towards tougher sanctions on Russia.

Source: Zelenskyy in his evening address

Quote: "We are closely monitoring and taking note of every attempt by the Russians to undermine our relations with our partners. We see which lobbyists Moscow is bringing in, who it is trying to act through and what internal operations in Ukraine and Europe it is trying to launch. Our countermeasures will be tangible through the special services, our intelligence agencies, political cooperation with our partners and, in particular, sanctions.

It is essential that momentum in the US Congress for tougher sanctions against Russia, particularly on Russian oil, has regained traction. This can really work."

Details: Zelenskyy said that on Saturday 10 January, Kyrylo Budanov, newly appointed Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, had briefed him on some meetings related to the diplomatic dimension of the talks. He said that he is awaiting a full report from the entire negotiating team.

Quote: "We remain in contact with the US side virtually every day. And today, Rustem Umierov again spoke with our American partners. This is our strategic task: dialogue with America must be 100% constructive. Ukraine has never been and will never be an obstacle to diplomacy, and our engagement with partners remains consistently at the highest level. That will continue."

More details: Zelenskyy also gave details of his discussion with Budanov on sanctions policy, saying that new cooperation had been established with many partners last year to synchronise sanctions, but that the pace needed to become "significantly greater".

Quote: "Russian missile and drone production cannot exist without components supplied from other countries. This applies not just to some Russian products, but to all Russian weapons. These are weapons built on components that Russia does not produce itself. That is why blocking supplies and expanding sanctions is one of our key priorities. It must also be a priority for our partners. Our institutions must work more actively to achieve this."

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!