Zelensky: US is the ‘accelerator of the sanction policies’ against Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday in an interview with Fox News that the U.S. is the “accelerator of the sanction policies” against Russia.

“So far, I think that the United States of America is the accelerator of the sanction policies and I think they do more than any other country. And this is the way it should be because they are the most powerful country right now. I see the same support with respect to sanctions from the United Kingdom,” said Zelensky.

President Biden repeatedly stated before Russia invaded Ukraine in February that the United States would issue crippling economic sanctions, should Russian President Vladimir Putin decide to make inroads into the former Soviet State.

After Putin announced Russia’s “military operation” into Ukraine on Feb. 24, the U.S. sanctioned Russian banks, oligarchs with ties to the Kremlin, and Putin himself, among other measures.

Shortly afterward, the Biden administration announced a ban on Russian oil imports. Members of the Biden administration also worked in confluence with western allies and countries like Japan to coordinate sanctions against Russia for its war with Ukraine.

Zelensky expressed appreciation for the work of Western countries to aid Ukraine in its fight.

However, Zelensky criticized the United Nations, specifically the security council, saying that it was unable to accomplish any significant steps to provide Ukraine with security.

“I’m open to saying about that organization, especially on such high level, that it doesn’t work,” Zelensky said of the UN. “And especially the Security Council that’s supposed to do one specific thing, it’s responsible for security. So the question is, what can it do to provide security or avert any war around the world?”

Zelensky approved of the unity and accomplishments of the European Union and its shared values with Ukraine.

“The European Union should be in a united position. They don’t have it with respect to certain sanctions. For those sanctions the European Union introduced, we are thankful to them. However, they have to be thankful to themselves because the role of Russia against Ukraine, it’s a war against the values that Ukraine defends, and these values are the values of the European Union countries,” said Zelensky.