Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha has welcome statements by U.S. President Donald Trump calling for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia and threatening to impose sanctions against Russia if Moscow refuses.
Sybiha said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on January 23 that Trump’s message was “really strong” and called for increased pressure on Russia to force Moscow to negotiate.
“We need U.S. leadership. We need greater U.S. involvement," Sybiha told the global business elite.
A day after he was inaugurated on January 20, Trump said he would impose more sanctions on Russia to get it to the table but didn’t say what exactly he would target.
Trump then called out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name, warning Moscow it faces new "high" tariffs, taxes, and sanctions if it doesn't quickly end its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on January 23 that Moscow "did not see any particularly new elements" in what Trump said. Analysts have said Putin believes he is winning the war and thus sees no reason to stop the fighting.
Later on January 23, Trump called on Saudi Arabia and its allies in OPEC to ramp up oil output, a move that would push down crude prices, choking a key revenue source for Moscow to fund its war.
If the price of oil came down, the war "would end immediately,” Trump said in a speech delivered by video link to the WEF.
Trump later told reporters at the White House that he would like to meet Putin immediately to secure an end to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"From what I hear, Putin would like to see me, and we'll leave as soon as we can. I'd meet immediately," Trump said. "Everyday we don't meet, soldiers are being killed in the battlefield."
Trump added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had told him he was ready to make a deal to end the war.
Sybiha noted the strengthening of Ukraine, which he said would allow stabilizing the situation at the front.
"We are ready to do our part,” he said. “So we really welcome such powerful messages from President Trump, and we believe that he will emerge victorious, and we believe that we have an additional chance to achieve new momentum in the diplomatic efforts to end this war and achieve a lasting and comprehensive peace."
