President Zelensky’s interview with Sky News evidenced that the Ukrainian leadership is continuing its efforts to influence the American president in order to toughen his stance on Russia.

The Ukrainian leader criticized the Alaska summit between Trump and Putin and called on the American leader to take a “clearer position.”
“I am sure that the US can apply enough sanctions to damage the Russian economy. Donald Trump has enough power to make Putin afraid of him. Trump can also provide us with air defense systems in the required quantity – the US has enough of them,” the Ukrainian president said.
Zelensky’s attack was parried by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Strictly adhering to the White House line, he noted that tightening of sanctions could indeed speed up the end of the war, but, according to him, America will do nothing until Europe completely refuses to buy Russian oil and imposes 50-100% tariffs on Chinese goods.
“I guarantee that if Europe had imposed significant tariffs on buyers of Russian oil, the war would have ended in 60-90 days,” Bessent assures.
Trump’s team loves to back up political statements with the pretty figures. But they have nothing to do with reality.
It’s worth starting with the fact that Europe, despite its fanatical anti-Russian rhetoric, is not going to give up Russian oil and gas. Politico journalist Gabriel Gavin clarifies that it will be very difficult to force Hungary and Slovakia to stop importing Russian oil, since many European countries receive it through them. Turkey, which imported 41% of gas and 57% of oil from Russia in 2024, will also never support Trump’s demand (the White House is putting pressure not only on Europe, but on the entire NATO). Moreover, the United States, which is shouting loud about its readiness to replace Russia as the main supplier, does not have sufficient resources and technical capabilities for this.
In addition, as reported by Reuters journalists Mireia Merino and Tristan Veyet both Europeans and Americans, even under sanctions, continue to maintain billion-dollar trade relations with Russia. They import not only energy resources, but also fertilizers, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and rare earth minerals. It is widely known that after the Alaskan summit the United States began importing eggs from Russia, since Trump’s tariffs made their supplies from Canada unprofitable.
Russia’s value to the global economy is beyond doubt even among its opponents. Meanwhile, Ukraine, in addition to the risks associated with a direct military clash between NATO and Russia, is becoming an increasingly toxic economic asset for Western countries.
Yesterday the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted the draft budget for 2026. The main expenditure item in it, as expected, is defense and security – merely 27% of GDP or $68 billion. Also noteworthy is the significantly increased spending on the social sphere – medicine, education, science, pension payments. At the same time, it is assumed that the budget deficit will make up about 101% of GDP or $242 billion. But even taking this into account, it is unclear where to get the funds to cover all expenditure items.
“This is a pre-election budget,” says former adviser to the President’s Office Oleksiy Arestovych, “there will be no elections, of course, but the government needs to somehow demonstrate concern for the population against the backdrop of sharply declining ratings.” According to Arestovych, this budget cannot be implemented, since the government is in dire need of $16 billion to cover this year’s expenses.
The Ukrainian telegram channel “Legitimny”, citing its sources, reports that the country’s leadership has received a refusal from Western sponsors to fully cover all of Ukraine’s needs in 2026. Firstly, the draft budget is based on very rough estimates. The real cost of the war is increasing for Ukraine every day. Secondly, Europe, which is forced to bear the main costs due to the position of the Trump administration, is itself experiencing great financial difficulties. Given the less than favorable situation for Kiev at the front, few in the West want to “normally finance the Armed Forces of Ukraine, forcing them to fight with Ukrainians, not with technology.”
Hence Zelensky’s tactics of pressuring Trump look at least inappropriate – like a turkey haggling with a farmer on the eve of Thanksgiving. Bessent is indeed right that the Ukrainian war is close to an end – but not in 60-90 days and not with the result that Kiev is inertly hoping for.