With US-Ukraine talks set to renew in Florida, Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns that Russia is rising its oil revenues via shadow fleets.
Revealed On 22 Mar 2026
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged allies to maintain up sanctions stress on Russia’s economic system forward of a second day of talks between Ukraine and United States officers on methods to finish the more-than-four-year Russia-Ukraine warfare.
Russia’s representatives weren’t current on the talks, which opened on Saturday in Florida. They had been initially anticipated to attend the negotiations, which had been on account of happen within the United Arab Emirates, earlier than the US-Israeli war on Iran.
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The US delegation is being led by particular envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
In a submit on X on Sunday, Zelenskyy referred to as for harder motion towards Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet of tankers and for it to be denied oil revenues.
“Over the previous week, Russia launched practically 1,550 assault drones towards Ukraine, greater than 1,260 guided aerial bombs, and two missiles. Over that very same week, as a result of easing of sanctions, Russia elevated its crude oil sales to finance its warfare,” Zelenskyy wrote.
“Revenues give Russia a way of impunity and the power to proceed the warfare. That’s the reason stress should proceed, and sanctions should work. Russia’s shadow fleet should not really feel protected in European waters or wherever else,” he stated.
The Ukrainian president added that tankers that “serve the warfare price range can and should be stopped and blocked, not simply let go”.
The so-called shadow fleet is a community of vessels that proceed to export oil and fuel regardless of Western sanctions as a result of ongoing warfare with Ukraine.
Final week, the French Navy seized an oil tanker within the Western Mediterranean, which France’s President Emmanuel Macron stated was a part of Russia’s shadow fleet, a community of vessels used to export oil regardless of Western sanctions.
The shadow fleet, which has grown following Western sanctions on Russia geared toward curbing Moscow’s oil revenues, has helped to maintain Russian oil exports flowing.
Talks proceed
The final time the Ukrainian and Russian delegations met was in February within the Swiss metropolis of Geneva, however no progress was made, as key points surrounding territory stay unresolved.
Moscow has repeatedly stated it is not going to comply with a peace deal that provides up the Ukrainian territory it has captured in the course of the warfare. In distinction, Kyiv has stated it is not going to comply with a deal that doesn’t result in the return of its territory.
Components of the peace plan being promoted by the US embody a presidential election in Ukraine, alongside territorial concessions.
Zelenskyy, whose time period has already expired, is underneath renewed stress from Trump to carry a vote as Washington pushes Kyiv in direction of a peace deal.
Ukrainian legislation bars wartime elections, however Zelenskyy has stated Ukraine can be prepared to carry democratic elections if the US secured a two-month ceasefire to permit time to arrange infrastructure and put safety ensures in place.
