Zelenskyy says Putin is looking to cause Ukraine-wide ‘blackout’
The Ukrainian president called an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump an "American sanctions blackout."
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine asserted on Saturday that Russia is striving to induce a widespread power outage across the country as it escalates attacks on its energy infrastructure. This move aims to leave millions of Ukrainians without electricity and heating during the winter months. Zelenskyy made these remarks on Telegram, emphasizing the necessity of applying pressure to halt these relentless assaults.
He criticized the easing of U.S. sanctions on Russia, viewing it as a reinforcement of President Vladimir Putin's resolve to continue his military operations. Zelenskyy highlighted that the strikes on Ukraine's energy sector, which included over 320 jet-powered Shahed drones, loitering munitions, cruise, and ballistic missiles, led to power outages affecting approximately one million people.
Furthermore, President Donald Trump's recent executive order waiving significant sanctions on Russia, following a deal with Putin regarding the supply of diesel barrels, has been met with disbelief by European nations and Ukraine. Zelenskyy criticized this decision, stating that the American law – aimed at imposing real pressure on Russia to cease the conflict – was unfortunately overlooked.
He stressed that while the law remains essential, its effectiveness relies on actual implementation, and each vote in its favor matters.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
