Zelensky speaks with Macron and Stubb during Russian ballistic attack on Kyiv, urges joint pressure on Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held separate phone calls with French President Emmanuel Macron and Finnish President Alexander Stubb on Saturday during a Russian ballistic attack on Kyiv, discussing the need for additional air defence packages and the implications of weakening US sanctions on Russian oil products. Zelensky urged joint bold steps to increase pressure on Russia and proposed mutual cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure. European leaders publicly criticised a reported US-Russian diesel deal.
Key points
- Zelensky held phone calls with Macron and Stubb during a Russian ballistic attack on Kyiv on Saturday.
- Zelensky said the need for additional air defence packages for Ukraine is obvious and warned of a particular threat of further missile strikes in the coming days.
- The leaders discussed challenges from weakening US sanctions on Russian oil products; Zelensky called for joint bold steps to increase pressure on Russia.
- Zelensky said Russians "must feel that they will no longer have the potential to drag out the war" and that coordination is concrete with meetings being prepared.
- The day before, US President Donald Trump said he had reached an agreement with Vladimir Putin on Russian diesel supplies to American and world markets, potentially up to 1.8 million tonnes.
- Finnish leadership called the US-Russian diesel deal a "terrible disappointment"; Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal called it a big mistake and urged support for Ukraine to strike Russian oil refineries.
- Zelensky proposed a mutual cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure: Ukraine would halt attacks on Russian oil refineries if Russia stops shelling Ukrainian energy facilities.
Why it matters
The conversations took place during an active Russian ballistic strike on Kyiv, underscoring Ukraine's immediate air defence needs and the urgency of international coordination. Zelensky sought to build a joint European response to the reported easing of US sanctions on Russian oil products, which could boost Russian war revenue. Public criticism of the US-Russian diesel deal by Finland and Estonia signals transatlantic disagreement on Russia sanctions policy at a sensitive moment. Zelensky's proposal of mutual restraint on energy infrastructure strikes links the sanctions issue directly to de-escalation leverage.
What happened
On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelensky held separate phone calls with French President Emmanuel Macron and Finnish President Alexander Stubb while Russia carried out a ballistic attack on Kyiv. Zelensky said the need for additional air defence packages for Ukraine is obvious and warned that a particular threat of further missile strikes persists in the coming days. With Macron, he discussed challenges arising from the weakening of sanctions on Russian oil products and called for joint bold steps to increase pressure on Russia. Zelensky said that coordination is concrete and that meetings are being prepared, and that Russians "must feel that they will no longer have the potential to drag out the war." During the call with Stubb, he informed him of new Russian strikes and discussed the risk that additional revenues from Russian oil product exports could finance further aggression. Zelensky announced the discussions via his X account, with reporting by Європейська правда. In response to the US decision on Russian diesel supplies, Zelensky proposed a mutual cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure, in which Ukraine would halt attacks on Russian oil refineries if Russia stops shelling Ukrainian energy facilities.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian sources centre the story on Zelensky's diplomatic outreach, presenting his calls with Macron and Stubb as urgent coordination during an ongoing Russian ballistic attack on Kyiv. Coverage repeatedly frames the US move on Russian oil products as a "weakening of sanctions" and emphasises Zelensky's call for joint pressure on Russia and for additional air defence packages. Zelensky's proposed mutual restraint on energy infrastructure strikes is presented as a concrete Ukrainian initiative linked to the sanctions issue.
Where reporting differs
Different Ukrainian sources describe Zelensky's Finnish counterpart inconsistently: some identify the interlocutor discussing sanctions and Russian strikes as the Finnish prime minister, while other facts identify him as Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Background
The day before the calls, US President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and reached an agreement on Russian diesel fuel supplies to American and world markets, potentially allowing up to 1.8 million tonnes of Russian diesel exports. Trump linked the deal to lowering fuel prices via US control of the Strait of Hormuz and decisions on Russian energy resources. In the US, the decision was criticised by experts who doubted it would lower prices and noted a potential conflict with the Lindsey Graham law. The Finnish leadership and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal publicly criticised the deal. Ukrainian authorities and international organisations have qualified Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure as war crimes; Russian leadership denies that the Russian army deliberately strikes civilian infrastructure.