Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that while some Western sanctions have already dealt a serious blow to the Russian economy, they "have not really affected Russia's position."
He said this on Tuesday during the FT's Global Boardroom conference, the Financial Times reported.
According to him, Moscow has constantly found ways to circumvent the sanctions. He also suggested that some Western governments are already tired of the economic impact of sanctions against Russia and are looking for ways to soften their impact to protect their commercial interests.
"They are supporting Ukraine, but they are also checking to see what they can do to ease the sanctions so that business doesn't suffer," Zelensky said. In UN-sponsored talks on restoring access to Ukraine's Black Sea ports, Zelensky was ready to support the idea of a sea corridor to allow the export of grain from Ukrainian ports, but, he said, there is no need for dialogue with Moscow to lift the blockade because the only threat to the world's food supply comes from Russia.
He also once again called on the West for military support to restore the territorial integrity of his country. "We are inferior in equipment and therefore unable to advance," he said.
Zelensky said that pushing back Russian troops to the positions held before the Feb. 24 invasion would mean a "serious temporary victory" for Ukraine, but full sovereignty over its territory remains his ultimate goal.
He stated that "victory must be achieved on the battlefield." But he also insisted that he was open to peace talks despite the atrocities committed by Russian troops during their 100-day offensive.
Any war should end at the negotiating table, he said. However, the peace talks should have been face-to-face with President Vladimir Putin, because apart from the Russian leader "there is no one else to talk to." Zelensky criticized what he saw as attempts by some Western allies to explore the terms of the cease-fire without Kiev's participation. "We need constant interest from the West, Western support for Ukraine's sovereignty. There can never be negotiations behind Ukraine's back. "How can we achieve a cease-fire on Ukrainian territory without listening to the position of this country? It's very surprising," he said.
He said allies can do more to bring Russia to the negotiating table by supplying Ukraine with weapons and tightening economic sanctions against Moscow, including a full oil and gas embargo.
They should not just be mediators, he said, but should see to it that Moscow ceases hostilities and abides by any cease-fire.
Zelensky disagreed with French President Emmanuel Macron's warnings to the West not to treat Russia in a spirit of "humiliation." According to Zelensky, Macron was very aware of Russia's failure to comply with previous peace agreements under the so-called Minsk process, which has failed to end the fighting in Donbass since 2014. "I really don't understand ...Russia's humiliation. For eight years they've been killing us. What are we talking about here?" - he said.
In contrast, Zelensky called it "great news" that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson managed to survive a vote of no confidence in Conservative MPs Monday night. "I'm glad we didn't lose a very important ally."
