Zelensky responds to Rubio: "Shut down its entire economy. Sew Russia's mouth shut"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted sharply to statements by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the absence of real opportunities for a swift peace settlement and an end to the war.
Speaking with harsh criticism of the current approaches of Western partners, the Ukrainian leader called for a radical intensification of sanctions pressure and practical support from allies.
"Shut down its entire economy. Sew Russia's mouth shut. Don't feed them with your sales. Just impose sanctions on their weapons," Zelensky stated, Ukrainian media report.
He also drew attention to double standards in matters of technological and defense assistance, drawing parallels with events in the Middle East:
"Open Starlink for Ukraine. You did open it when you were responding to Iran. Everything worked there. Israel fully controlled the sky over Iran. That is, when you need it, it works. For them it costs nothing to help Ukraine. And I said frankly — give us, help us protect the sky and dominate in the sky."
According to the Ukrainian president, tough and decisive steps by the West could radically change the situation on the battlefield within a matter of months.
"And then Putin will sit down at the negotiating table. Why? Because he will lose everything. Three, two months — he will lose everything. And we are waiting for the Chinese to develop an analogue and hand it over to the Russians. So where is the truth here, where is the honesty here? Where is the dead end here? What dead end? This is called unwillingness," he summed up.
