Ukraine war: Zelenskyy slams European ‘indecisiveness’ over sanctions on Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday condemned hesitancy in Europe over stopping Russian energy imports, claiming that some leaders were more concerned.

With business losses than with war crimes. Addressing the Irish Parliament, Zelenskyy said new “rhetoric” about sanctions had emerged, “but I cannot tolerate any indecisiveness after everything we have gone through and everything that Russia has done to us”.

His statement comes as the Russian invasion of Ukraine entered its 42nd day. “In the 21st century, they are looking at their country as a colonial empire…Russia should be held responsible,” he said.

Zelenskyy alleged that Russia was using hunger as a weapon in its war and an instrument of domination. He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to cut off vital food supplies for people in Ukraine and also further afield by preventing cargo from being exported.

Zelenskyy also claimed Russia had carried out missile strikes on a Ukrainian oil depot overnight.

“We still need to convince Europe that Russian oil cannot feed the Russian military machine with new sources of funding,” Zelensky added, calling also for the total exclusion of Russian banks from Western finance.

“The only thing we are lacking is the principled approach of some leaders — political leaders, business leaders — who still think that war and war crimes are not as horrific as financial losses,” he said, speaking through an interpreter.

The European Union is all set to impose a fifth round of sanctions cutting off Russian coal imports, while NATO and G7 foreign ministers are gathering in Brussels for further steps on coordinated action.

However, Germany and some other EU countries have been reluctant to hit all Russian energy exports because of the damage it would do to their own economies.

In an address on Tuesday to the UN Security Council, Zelenskyy had said civilians in towns around Kyiv were tortured, shot in the back of the head, thrown down wells, blown up with grenades in their apartments and crushed to death by tanks while in cars.