‘We want to stop this war… Putin doesn’t’: Zelenskyy says sanctions needed as Russia rejects ceasefire talks

WASHINGTON: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday (local time) said President Donald Trump, Ukraine and European allies all want to end the war with Russia, but accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of refusing even a temporary ceasefire, stressing that stronger pressure and sanctions remain necessary.

In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Zelenskyy said Ukraine continues to push for diplomacy but alleged that Moscow has rejected those efforts.

“We want to stop this war. President Trump wants to stop this war, and the Europeans want to stop it. Putin doesn’t. We are asking every day to negotiate at least a ceasefire for some period of time and give diplomats the opportunity to negotiate. But Putin doesn’t want that. That’s the problem. That’s why we need to respond. We need to be tough. We need to be strong. And we’re counting on sanctions. By the way, Lindsey’s bill was very important,” Zelenskyy said.

President Zelenskyy says President Trump wants to end the war in Ukraine, but argues Vladimir Putin refuses to negotiate even a temporary ceasefire:

“We want to stop this war. President Trump wants to stop this war, and the Europeans want to stop it. Putin doesn’t. We are asking… pic.twitter.com/CX2PT77GT2

— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 29, 2026

Referring to the late Senator Lindsey Graham, Zelenskyy praised his longstanding support for Ukraine, saying Graham had stood by Kyiv since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“A lot of things have changed because of people like Lindsey. I really wanted to come here to support his family and to thank him on behalf of our nation. Why? Because of Lindsey. He has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters from the very beginning. He truly believed that Putin could not occupy Ukraine. And he couldn’t–that’s true,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian President noted that Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times during the war, including areas close to the front lines. “Lindsey came to Ukraine 10 times during the war, visiting different places, including areas very close to the front lines. We’ve become friends, and I’m very thankful for his support, his trust, and his belief in Ukraine,” he said.

HANNITY: “Is Crimea back on the table?”

ZELENSKYY: “It’s a pity not. Or not yet. But we’ll see.”

“The land is very important. It’s our territory. It’s our history.”

“But the most important is not to lose people.” pic.twitter.com/o2cquiU5cz

— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 29, 2026

Zelenskyy also highlighted the growth of Ukraine’s domestic defence industry since the start of the conflict. “Since the beginning of the war, when Putin said he would occupy us in two or three days, we have built a great military technology industry. We now have 500 companies with very strong technologies supporting our soldiers on the front lines,” he said.

Claiming that Russia is sustaining heavy battlefield losses, Zelenskyy said, “Putin is now losing 30,000 soldiers a month. Those are enormous losses. As President Trump says, there have been many losses. But Putin still doesn’t want to stop this war.”

He added that the balance of momentum had shifted in Ukraine’s favour. “Now the initiative is no longer in Putin’s hands, and that is the biggest change,” Zelenskyy said.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday (local time) welcomed the US Senate’s overwhelming procedural vote advancing a Russia sanctions bill, calling it “the first step toward peace,” after holding talks with more than 60 senators and meeting US President Donald Trump during his visit to Washington.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy said he held a major meeting with representatives of both parties in the Senate, where discussions focused on continued US support for Ukraine, particularly strengthening anti-ballistic defence.

The Ukrainian President also referred to the Senate’s procedural vote on legislation imposing sanctions on Russia, highlighting it as a symbolic moment that coincided with the farewell to late Senator Lindsey Graham, who had championed the measure.

“It is symbolic that today, as we bid farewell to Senator Lindsey Graham, the Senate held a procedural vote on a bill imposing sanctions against Russia that he had worked so hard on. It was an honor to be present as the votes were counted – 86 senators supported the bill. This is the first step toward implementing Lindsey’s plans, and certainly a step toward peace. It is important that this tool works,” Zelenskyy said.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats said the chamber voted 86-12 to advance one of the toughest sanctions packages against Russia, sharing remarks by Senator Jeanne Shaheen in a post on X.

Separately, US President Donald Trump also commented on his meeting with Zelenskyy, saying on Truth Social, “Great Honor to meet with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. Many things were discussed. The meeting went very well!”

During his Washington visit, besides the Russian Sanctions Bill, Zelenskyy met executives of US defence company Lockheed Martin to discuss expanding defence-industrial cooperation between the two countries. He said the discussions focused on joint production, technology exchange and strengthening Ukraine’s air defence capabilities.

“Today, we discussed further development of our cooperation – joint production and technology exchange. Ukraine has a lot to share with those who help us protect lives. We spoke about our joint capabilities related to Patriots and other systems. Our teams are already working on specific solutions to move to co-production as quickly as possible and increase our capabilities to protect lives. Thank you for your support and all your assistance!” Zelenskyy said. (ANI)