Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to the Ukrainian president, said on 3/8 that "sanctions are working. The Russian economy cannot withstand the pressure and is only holding on by selling energy resources. This economy can be strangled by the kind of secondary sanctions proposed by the US." He cited data that he said showed a sharp decline in Russian rail traffic over the past 12 months.
Yermak appeared to be referring to a proposal by former US President Donald Trump and a bipartisan group of senators to impose secondary sanctions on countries doing business with Russia, especially those buying fossil fuels from Moscow. China and India are among Russia's top energy importers.
US and Russian officials have not commented on the information.
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Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to the Ukrainian president, at a press conference in Saudi Arabia, 11/3. Photo: Reuters |
Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to the Ukrainian president, at a press conference in Saudi Arabia, 11/3. Photo: Reuters
On 14/7, former President Trump announced a 50-day deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine, failing which Moscow would face secondary sanctions and other measures. On 29/7, he shortened the deadline to 10 days, frustrated by Russia's continued attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Trump's warnings raised hopes in Kyiv of a shift in the White House's policy on the conflict.
The Kremlin has so far issued relatively moderate statements. However, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council, called Trump's ultimatum "a threat and a step towards conflict," not between Russia and Ukraine, but with the US itself.
Medvedev's comments prompted Trump to order two nuclear submarines to "appropriate areas in case these inflammatory statements are more than just words".
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called on the US to respond to Russia's actions with concrete measures.
"The proposal for a ceasefire has been made for a long time. Proposals from Ukraine, the US, and many other countries around the world have been conveyed to Russia. Each time, their only response is to try to prolong the war," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on 1/8.
Vu Hoang (ABC News, AP, AFP)
