DUBLIN, April 6 (Reuters) – Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he could not tolerate any indecisiveness from Western countries on imposing new sanctions on Russia, in an address to Ireland’s parliament on Wednesday.
“When we are hearing new rhetoric about sanctions… I can’t tolerate any indecisiveness after everything that Russian troops have done,” he told a rare joint sitting of both houses of parliament by video link, calling on Ireland to convince its EU partners to introduce more rigid sanctions.
Speaking via an interpreter, Zelenskiy said Ukraine civilian infrastructure, including a fuel depot, were hit by Russian missiles overnight and accused Moscow of deliberately provoking a food crisis by using hunger as a “weapon”.
Russia has denied targeting civilians in what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s foreign minister welcomed new European Union sanctions planned against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, but said an embargo on Russian gas and oil was needed “to stop” President Vladimir Putin.
“I appreciate the strengthening of the 5th EU sanctions package: bans on Russian coal, vessels accessing EU ports, and road transport operators,” Foreign Minister
wrote on Twitter. “But it will take a gas/oil embargo and de-SWIFTing of all Russian banks to stop Putin. Difficult times require difficult decisions.”
