Zelenskyy: Tariffs on countries making deals with Russia right idea

Asked if he thought the plan to impose tariffs backfired when he saw photographs of Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the recent SCO summit, Zelenskyy, in an interview aired on ABC News’ ‘This Week’ on Sunday, said: “No. I think the idea to put tariffs on the countries who continue (to) make deals with Russia, I think this is (the) right idea.”

After Russia launched its largest aerial assault over the weekend, Zelenskyy, in a post on X, also called for “sanctions against Russia and individuals connected with Russia, tough tariffs and other restrictions on trade with Russia”. He said statements by leaders and institutions must be “backed by strong action”, and the “losses must be felt”.

During the ABC News’ interview, Zelenskyy refused Putin’s invitation to Moscow for a dialogue, saying he cannot visit the capital of a country which continues to launch daily missile attacks on Ukraine. “He can come to Kyiv. If a person doesn’t want to meet during the war… of course, he can propose something which is acceptable to me… it’s understandable. I can’t go to Moscow when my country is under missiles, under attack, each day. I can’t go to the capital of this terrorist,” he said.

Breaking: Ukraine’s Zelensky backs Trump’s tariffs on India

“It is the right idea to put tariffs on countries that continue to make deals with Russia,” he says pic.twitter.com/p4L6wnJVOg

— Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) September 8, 2025

He accused Putin of using the invitation as a political manoeuvre to delay dialogue. “And he understands it… He is doing it to postpone the meeting. He is playing games, and he is playing games with the United States,” he said.

On August 30, as Modi reached Tianjin for the SCO summit, Zelenskyy had spoken to him and said “the end of this (Ukraine) war must begin with an immediate ceasefire”. In a post on X after the phone call, Zelenskyy had said that “India is ready to make the necessary efforts and to deliver the appropriate signal to Russia and other leaders” at the summit.

Modi, in a post on X, had thanked Zelenskyy for the phone call. “We exchanged views on the ongoing conflict, its humanitarian aspect, and efforts to restore peace and stability. India extends full support to all efforts in this direction,” he had said.

🇺🇦🇷🇺 ZELENSKY: FOR US, SURVIVAL IS VICTORY

“He didn’t occupy us. We win. And I think so, because we still have our country.

He understands that very clearly. He wants, of course, to occupy us totally.

For him, that would be victory. But until he can do it, the victory is on… https://t.co/xSRYCg2iEH pic.twitter.com/HhOkoP119p

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 8, 2025

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office had said: “Prime Minister (Modi) thanked President Zelenskyy and reaffirmed India’s steadfast and consistent position for peaceful settlement of the conflict and support for efforts aimed at earliest restoration of peace.”

Zelenskyy had shared his perspective on the recent developments related to Ukraine, the statement had said, in the wake of Putin and Trump’s August 15 meeting in Alaska, and the subsequent meeting of Trump with Zelenskyy and other European leaders in Washington.

In a detailed post on X, Zelenskyy had said he reaffirmed Ukraine’s “readiness for a meeting with the head of Russia”. “I informed (Modi) about the talks with President Trump in Washington with the participation of European leaders. It was a productive and important conversation, a shared vision among partners on how to achieve real peace,” he had said. “We coordinated our positions ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit,” he had said, and also indicated a possible meeting between him and Modi “in the near future”.

Last year, Modi had travelled to Moscow and Kyiv and announced that “solutions can’t be found on the battlefield”, and that India was ready to support peace efforts. He had also invited Zelenskyy to India.