'Russia's Goals Unchanged' After Deadly Air Strikes On Ukraine, Says Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia's latest deadly air strikes show Moscow's war objectives remained "unchanged" and called for new sanctions.

"Such strikes show that Russia's goals are unchanged," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on March 8. "Therefore, it is very important to continue to do everything to protect life, strengthen our air defense, and increase sanctions against Russia."

Russian air strikes overnight in eastern Ukraine killed at least 20 people in the Donetsk region, according to local officials, with at least 11 deaths reported in the city of Dobropillya.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy called the Dobropillya attack one of the most "brutal" of the war and that it was "was deliberately calculated to cause maximum damage."

Russia also claimed that it had retaken three villages earlier captured by Ukraine in its Kursk region, which would represent another setback for Kyiv ahead of any talks.

The attacks came a day after Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack targeting energy and gas infrastructure across multiple regions of Ukraine.

At Least 50 Killed After Russian Missiles Strike In Ukraine's Donetsk Region

Following the attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, US President Donald Trump on March 7 threatened to impose additional sanctions on Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine is now in its fourth year.

The massive attack -- the 30th such strike on Ukraine's energy infrastructure since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 -- is part of a broader Russian strategy targeting Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure. In the past two weeks, Russian strikes have repeatedly hit energy facilities in the Odesa region.

Despite Moscow's repeated denials that it has targeted civilian infrastructure, Ukraine and international organizations have called the attacks war crimes, citing deliberate targeting of hospitals, schools, energy facilities, and water supply systems across the country.

Zelenskyy has been calling on his country's allies to press Russia to end the war, with an air and sea truce as the first step.

SEE ALSO: Analysis: Ukraine Forced To Saudi Talks With Fewer Cards Than Ever

In an evening address on March 7 before Russia's latest strikes, Zelenskyy said Ukraine wants peace "as soon as possible" and "is determined to be very constructive."

"The theme is clear: peace as soon as possible, security as reliable as possible," he said.

Trump did not go into detail about potential measures. He had spoken a few days after his January 20 inauguration of potentially using "taxes, tariffs, and sanctions" to get Russia to the negotiating table, but no new measures have been announced.

The new comment was one of only a few from Trump in recent weeks about what might be done to bring Russia to the table. It followed tense exchanges between the United States and Ukraine, including a vocal February 28 argument in the White House after which Trump said Zelenskyy was not ready for peace.

Speaking at the White House later on March 7, Trump said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wants peace, but suggested he wanted stronger assurances from Kyiv.

"I think both parties want it settled," he said, but "I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine, and they don't have the cards."

"In terms of the final settlement it may be easier to deal with Russia, which is surprising," Trump said. He repeated that Russia has been "pounding" Ukraine recently, but said he thinks he understands why.

SEE ALSO: How Important Is US Intelligence For Ukraine's War Effort?

"I actually think he's doing what anybody in that position would be doing right now," Trump said, adding: "I've always had a good relationship with Putin. And you know, he wants to end the war."

"I think he's going to be more generous than he has to be, and that's pretty good," he said. "That means a lot of good things."

Trump defended his decision this week to suspend military aid to Kyiv and restrict intelligence sharing with Ukraine, saying: "I have to know that they want to settle. If they don't want to settle, we're out of there."

"Ukraine has to get on the ball and get the job done," he said.

A major source of the recent US-Ukraine tension has been Trump's resistance to Zelenskyy's repeated requests for concrete security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a cease-fire or peace deal. Asked about it in his White House appearance, Trump said, "Before I even think about [security guarantees] I want to settle the war."

Russia Targets Ukraine's Energy Sector In Massive Aerial Assault

Despite the tensions, there is a diplomatic push for peace talks that will see a delegation from Ukraine travel to Saudi Arabia next week to meet with US officials with the aim of working out a framework for a peace agreement.

At the White House event with Trump on March 7, national-security adviser Mike Waltz said he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would meet with the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia.

Waltz said he thinks the United States is "going to get things back on track with Ukraine."

In his post on X on March 8, Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine's determination to do everything to end the war with a "just and lasting peace" as soon as possible.

He also added the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia will include Ukrainian president's office head Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and deputy Ukrainian president's office head Pavlo Palisa.

Palisa is a former commander of Ukraine's 93rd Brigade Kholodny Yar, the actions of which he was in charge of during the defense of Bakhmut.

On March 7, Sybiha said he had a "constructive call" with Rubio to discuss the upcoming meeting.

"Ukraine wants the war to end, and US leadership is essential for achieving lasting peace. We also discussed ways to advance our bilateral cooperation," Sybiha said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported the United States had vetoed a Canadian proposal to create a task force that would tackle Russia’s so-called "shadow fleet" of oil tankers in the Baltic Sea. The report cited people familiar with the matter ahead of the G7 foreign ministers meeting on March 11-13 that Canada is hosting in Quebec.