Zelenskiy calls for tougher sanctions against Russia, among first actions

As among his first actions in his office, Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked the U.S. for its military support and called
for intensifying sanctions against Russia during a meeting with the U.S.
delegation to his inauguration ceremony, which included Secretary of Energy
Rick Perry. “The U.S. is a powerful and very serious partner for Ukraine, above
all, in withstanding Russia’s aggression,” Zelenskiy told the U.S. officials,
as reported by his press service. “We can’t overcome Russian aggression in
Donbas and Crimea independently. That’s why we need your help. I would want to
call upon the U.S. to continue strengthening sanctions against Russia.” Reforms
in Ukraine can’t occur after a ceasefire in Donbas, but simultaneously because
we need that, he said. “We want to become a European country regarding values
and transparency,” he said, also requesting a meeting with U.S. President
Donald Trump.

The U.S. government is planning to impose sanctions
against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, said during his visit to Kyiv Energy
Secretary Rick Perry, as reported by the Bloomberg news agency on May 21. Perry
also reported said the U.S. is also considering legislation to impose
restrictions on Nord Stream 2, the pipelines that will supply natural gas
directly from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea. Ukraine’s loss of
natural gas transit as a result of the pipeline has been estimated at USD 3 bln
in annual revenue.

Zenon Zawada: So far, so good. Zelenskiy set the tone for positive reforms and
ongoing resistance to Russian aggression in his first day as president. We
expect him to maintain this pro-Western course for the year’s remainder, at
minimum, and likely longer. Any wavering from Ukraine’s pro-Western course is
only possible if Russian pressure becomes overwhelming, which becomes possible
in the winter when natural gas transit is shut down entirely and Ukrainian
households are again faced with painful prices for natural gas, and possibly
gasoline as well.