Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged U.S. President Donald Trump to adopt a clear position on sanctions against Russia and provide robust security guarantees for Ukraine to halt the ongoing conflict, emphasizing the need for bold leadership to deter Vladimir Putin.

In an exclusive interview with Sky News' Yalda Hakim at the Presidential Palace on Monday, September 15, 2025, Zelenskyy stressed that ending the war requires concrete commitments before any cessation of hostilities. "Before we end the war, I really want to have all the agreements in place," he said, expressing hope that UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer would discuss U.S. security assurances during Trump's upcoming state visit. Zelenskyy highlighted the importance of a document backed by the U.S. and European partners, and called for Trump to take "strong personal steps" to make Putin "afraid of him."

Zelenskyy criticized the recent Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, suggesting a trilateral meeting with Ukraine could have yielded results. He acknowledged Trump's push for NATO allies to cease Russian oil purchases and impose tariffs on third-party buyers like China and India but argued the U.S., as the superpower, should lead with its own sanctions.

"Europe has already introduced 18 sanctions packages against Russia. And all that's lacking now is a strong sanctions package from the US," Zelenskyy said, adding that Trump could provide air defense systems and economic pressure to hurt Russia's economy.

The interview came amid heightened tensions, including British jets scrambling for air defense over Poland after a Russian drone incursion, which Zelenskyy interpreted as Putin "testing NATO" and deterring aid to Ukraine. "He's testing NATO... Also, the other message they are sending is, 'don't you dare to give Ukraine additional air defence systems, because you might need them yourself,'" Zelenskyy remarked.