Video: Zelenskyy urges US to cripple Russia’s economy after deadly strikes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Abdullateef Fowewe
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the United States to “shut down” Russia’s entire economy, halt any sales that sustain Moscow, and impose tighter sanctions on its weapons industry, while demanding expanded access to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy urges US to cripple Russia’s economy after deadly strikes
Speaking at the site of recent destruction in Pryluky, Zelenskyy said, “Shut down the entire economy to him. Sew up Russia’s mouth. Don’t feed them with your sales. Just impose sanctions on their weapons. Open Starlink for us for Ukraine.”
He linked the request to previous U.S. actions involving Iran, stating, “You opened it when you responded to Iran. Everything worked there. Israel had complete control of the sky. He completely controlled the skies over Iran. So, when you need it, it works that way.”
Zelenskyy argued that granting Ukraine the ability to use Starlink more freely particularly in ways that would help dominate the skies and target Russian missile launchers—would force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table within months, as Moscow would “lose everything.”
The remarks came after a wave of Russian strikes that killed at least 78 people and wounded more than 200 across Ukraine over two days, including an attack on an apartment building in Pryluky that killed 22 people (among them children) and a strike on buses in Kramatorsk.
Zelenskyy rejected characterisations of the conflict as having reached a diplomatic “stalemate” or dead end, saying Ukraine was not cornered and that stronger economic pressure combined with better tools for air defense would change the dynamic.
A Ukrainian negotiating team was scheduled to travel to the United States for talks on Friday and Saturday.
Zelenskyy urged U.S. President Donald Trump to intensify sanctions pressure and indicated that European partners were expected to take part in discussions.
Air defense and the Starlink issue were expected to feature prominently.
Ukraine has long relied on Starlink for military communications and drone operations.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly sought broader capabilities, including use that would support strikes or targeting deeper into Russian territory.
He also warned that China is nearing completion of a comparable satellite system that could be shared with Russia, underscoring the urgency of the request.
