(LONDON) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s top adviser urged the U.S. to “strangle” Russia’s economy by imposing secondary sanctions on Moscow’s trading partners, as the White House push for a ceasefire appears to languish.
“Sanctions are working,” Andriy Yermak, the head of Zelenskyy’s office, wrote on Telegram on Sunday, citing data he said shows a collapse in Russian railway capacity over the past 12 months.
“The economy, geared for war, cannot withstand the pressure and is holding on only through the sale of energy resources,” Yermak wrote. “It is possible to strangle the economy with secondary tariffs proposed in the USA.”
Yermak appeared to be referring to proposals from President Donald Trump and a bipartisan group of senators to impose secondary sanctions on nations doing business with Russia, particularly those purchasing fossil fuels from the country. China and India are among the top importers of Russian energy products.
On July 14, Trump said he would give Russian President Vladimir Putin 50 days to agree a ceasefire with Ukraine, after which he would consider imposing secondary sanctions and other measures.
On July 29, Trump cut the window to 10 days, citing frustration with Russia’s continued drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. The deadline will now expire on Aug. 8.
The threats raised hopes in Kyiv of a sustained White House pivot to back Ukraine’s efforts to repel Russia’s invasion, now in its fourth year with combat still raging all along the 600-mile front in the east and south of the country.
Official statements from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov were relatively muted.
But Dmitry Medvedev — the former Russian president and prime minister now serving as the deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council — framed Trump’s ultimatum as “a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.”
Medvedev’s comments prompted Trump to then order two nuclear submarines to move to “appropriate regions,” citing “highly provocative statements” from Medvedev, who has become known as a particularly hawkish voice within Putin’s security establishment.
“A threat was made by a former president of Russia and we’re going to protect our people,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials continued their appeals to the U.S. to respond to perceived Russian provocations with concrete measures.
“Ceasefire proposals have been made long ago — Ukrainian proposals, U.S. proposals and many others around the world have communicated this to the Russians,” Zelenskyy said in a statement posted to Telegram on Friday.
“Each time, the only response from there has been attempts to gain more time for war, more time for terror,” he said. “Russia does not operate otherwise.”
“So it is very important that the prospect of new sanctions, strong sanctions, has now begun to put pressure on Russia — and not only against the aggressor state itself,” Zelenskyy added. “All Russian finances, every scheme that fills the Russian budget, must be targeted by the world.”
Both Russia and Ukraine have continued their long-range strike campaigns despite White House pressure to agree to a ceasefire.
In July, Russia set a new monthly record for strikes on Ukraine, launching 6,443 drones and missiles into the country, according to data published by the Ukrainian air force.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, reported downing 3,008 Ukrainian drones across July.
The attacks continued through into Sunday morning. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 76 drones and seven missiles into the country, of which 60 drones and one missile were shot down or otherwise suppressed.
Six missiles and 16 drones impacted across eight locations, the air force said, with debris from falling targets reported in two locations.
In Mykolaiv, a missile strike injured at least seven people, according to the local military administration. Three houses were destroyed and at last 37 other buildings damaged, the administration said.
In Russia, the Defense Ministry said it shot down at least 96 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Artem Korenyako, a spokesperson for Russia’s federal aviation agency Rosaviatsiya, said in posts to Telegram that temporary restrictions were introduced at airports in St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Pskov and Sochi.
In Sochi, on the Black Sea coast, local officials said falling drone debris set fire to a major oil depot.
And in the Voronezh region, local Gov. Alexander Gusev said four people were injured by Ukrainian attacks, which also set fire to a residential building.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
