Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Washington to impose “strong” measures against Russia amid surging tensions among NATO’s easternmost members.
Zelenskyy also said he expects to meet with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly next week, although Washington has not yet confirmed a face-to-face session.
“This week has brought us closer to finalizing the 19th [EU] sanctions package against Russian aggression; we expect its approval soon. Russia’s energy resources are being restricted," Zelenskyy said September 20.
"We expect [US] sanctions if there is no meeting between the leaders or, for example, no cease-fire," Zelenskyy added.
Zelenskyy also repeated his stance that he is ready to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who so far has rejected a summit on neutral ground.
Trump, who has long expressed admiration for Putin, has voiced frustration with the Kremlin leader's refusal to accept a cease-fire and his rejection of direct talks with Zelenskyy.
Trump said he was "very disappointed" with Putin following the recent series of intensified attacks on Ukrainian cites. That has led him to suggest new sanctions or tariffs against Russia, although no action has been taken.
"He's really let me down," Trump said during a visit to London on September 18.
Washington and European allies have already imposed financial measures on Moscow following its February 2022 full-scale invasion with a view to crippling the Russian economy, but Kyiv and its supporters are seeking more action.
Zelenskyy's latest comments come amid activity on both diplomatic and military fronts, inside Ukraine and Russia as well as in the skies above NATO nations bordering the two warring countries.
Polish and other NATO jets scrambled as Russia launched another massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine that killed at least three civilians.
The operation, which lasted around 90 minutes, underlined the heightened state of alert in NATO countries following the Russian incursions.
The wave of overnight strikes came shortly after NATO countries voiced outrage at a Russian incursion into Estonian airspace the previous day, as well as recent Russian drone incursions into Poland and Romania.
NATO must respond forcefully to Russian violations -- including potentially by shooting down Russian jets, Czech President Petr Pavel said.
“Russia will realize very quickly that they have made a mistake and crossed the acceptable boundaries. Unfortunately, this is teetering on the edge of conflict, but giving in to evil is simply not an option,” Pavel was quoted by the Czech News Agency as saying.
Estonia on September 18 said three Russian warplanes encroached into its airspace and lingered for 12 minutes, prompting other NATO members to scramble their jets. The Kremlin has denied the incident, saying the jets were over international waters.
Estonia said it had requested Article 4 consultations of the alliance's North Atlantic Council, likely to be held next week.
Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, also kept up the pressure on the Kremlin, targeting war-related industries deep inside Russia, mainly energy-producing facilities.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 149 Ukrainian drones overnight on September 19-20, in a variety of locations including the Rostov, Saratov, Bryansk, and Samara regions, and over Russia-occupied Crimea.
An official in Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that a number of oil-pumping stations were put out of action.
While Russia regularly targets civilian infrastructure including housing, hospitals, and schools, Ukraine has waged a targeted campaign against Russia’s oil refineries -- often deep inside the country -- reportedly taking out nearly a fifth of Russia’s capacity.
Meanwhile, the EU unveiled a fresh package of sanctions designed to hit Russia’s economy and cutoff the Kremlin's means of financing its war.
While announcing the proposed sanctions, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that “again and again, Putin has escalated, and in response, Europe is increasing its pressure.”
Von der Leyen said the main emphasis was on hitting Russia’s fossil fuel revenues, which drive its war in Ukraine.
In Washington, a bipartisan group of senators also introduced a bill to raise sanctions on the Russian energy sector, specifically targeting the shadow fleet.
