The date was chosen in memory of military correspondent Dmytro Labutkin, who died on this day during hostilities in eastern…
In Kyiv, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Sheldon Whitehouse.
The Office of the President reported this.
The President thanked the senators for consistent bipartisan support and expressed separate gratitude to U.S. President Donald Trump and his team.
The meeting focused on strengthening sanctions against Russia, particularly against the nuclear sector and Russia’s tanker fleet. Zelenskyy stressed that the U.S. must actively work with the EU not only to detain tankers of Russia’s shadow fleet but also to confiscate the oil they transport.
“We are really counting on your decision, the future decision. I hope the Senate will support the sanctions bill. This is very important for us. We don’t see many instruments to pressure Putin, to pressure Russia, to stop this war. Instrument number one is the sanctions policy”, — Zelenskyy said.
The President and the senators also discussed the frontline situation and negotiations to achieve a just peace. Zelenskyy informed them about preparations for the meeting of negotiating teams in Geneva.
They also addressed Russian attacks on American companies operating in Ukraine. Both sides condemned these attacks and emphasized that Russia must be held accountable for its crimes of aggression.
Energy support for Ukraine was also discussed. Zelenskyy thanked the U.S. for its rapid response to the needs of the Ukrainian energy sector. He said that a meeting in the “energy Ramstein” format will take place in France this week, and Ukraine has a list of specific equipment required for energy restoration.
They separately discussed the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine — including potentially using them to purchase Patriot missiles to strengthen air defense.
The meeting also touched on efforts to return Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia is holding thousands of kidnapped Ukrainian children; more than 1,800 have been returned so far. He noted that the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children will hold meetings in Brussels and the U.S. with the participation of the U.S. First Lady.
Richard Blumenthal reported on his meeting with Ukrainian children returned from Russia and stressed that the U.S. must impose additional sanctions and strengthen Ukraine’s air defense.
“We are now very determined to work on sanctions, on returning children, on providing Tomahawks and interceptors — everything you need to win. And to fight those false narratives that Russia is supposedly winning. It is not winning — neither on the battlefield nor morally”, — Blumenthal said.
