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Agence France-Presse

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday warned the West against lifting sanctions on Russia as France pushes for rapprochement with Moscow.
But speaking on the sidelines of an annual forum in the capital Kiev, the 41-year-old leader said that he had a “feeling” that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to improve ties with Ukraine.
Addressing the Yalta European Strategy (YES) forum, Zelensky said that some of Ukraine’s Western partners have considered lifting sanctions against Russia.
“Sometimes they think about lifting sanctions. You are losing money. Seriously?
Russia and Ukraine swap prisoners, as relations start to thaw
“I am sorry but we are losing people,” Zelensky said, referring to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the Moscow-backed separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.
“Essentially, sanctions are a tax needed to maintain world order. A peace tax, if you will. And you know in the civilised world it’s normal to pay taxes,” he said.

“Sanctions should remain” until peace was restored in eastern Ukraine, Zelensky added.
In 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula and supported a separatist insurgency in Ukraine’s industrial east. The conflict between Russia-backed fighters and Ukrainian troops has killed more than 13,000 people.
In response, the West has imposed sweeping economic sanctions targeting the Russian oil, defence and banking sectors as well as Russian officials over their alleged involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
On Thursday, the European Union extended by six months sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian officials while economic penalties were extended in June.
French President Emmanuel Macron has in recent weeks pushed for a review of ties with Russia, indicating that more sanctions against Moscow were not in France’s interests.
Russia warns of ‘consequences’ after Ukraine seizes tanker
In a keynote speech to French ambassadors in late August, Macron said: “The European continent will never be stable, will never be secure, if we do not pacify and clarify our relations with Russia.”
Attempts to resolve the Ukraine crisis have been revived since the election in April of comedian-turned-president Zelensky.
The political novice fulfilled a key campaign promise by getting 35 detainees held by Russia sent home in a historic prisoner swap last weekend.
Paris has called for a new Ukraine summit of Putin, Zelensky and the French and German leaders to take place later this month.
Asked on the forum’s sidelines if Putin was ready to make concessions, Zelensky said: “I don’t know so far. I will understand this at our first meeting.”
Grenade attack hits Ukraine TV channel set to air Putin documentary
But he also said he had a “feeling” that Putin was ready to improve ties.
That feeling was based “on many things,” he said. “From our (phone) calls to the political situation in the world on the whole.”
Zelensky told the conference that work was under way to prepare a new prisoner swap with Russia.
He also said he would push for the return of Crimea but admitted it would be “the most complicated” issue.
“I’ll be honest, we are thinking about it. We have several ideas,” he said, declining to provide further details.
“We will fight to get Crimea back.”
Zelensky added that he expected to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington later this month.
The Kremlin has repeatedly said the return of Crimea to Ukraine is out of the question.


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Ukraine

Russia sanctions should remain until peace restored, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo: AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in Sochi, Russia September 12, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov

Russia and Ukraine swap prisoners, in first sign of thawing relations

A child runs to greet one of the Ukrainian prisoners freed under a prisoner swap deal with Russia, at Boryspil airport, outside Kiev, Ukraine. Photo: AP

Relatives of Ukrainian prisoners freed by Russia greet them upon their arrival at Boryspil airport, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019. Planes carrying prisoners freed by Russia and Ukraine have landed in the countries' capitals, in an exchange that could be a significant step toward improving relations between Moscow and Kyiv. The planes, each reportedly carrying 35 prisoners, landed almost simultaneously at Vnukovo airport in Moscow and at Kyiv's Boryspil airport. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A police convoy escort two buses with tinted windows leaving the Vnukovo-2 goverment airport outside Moscow on September 7, 2019 as a long-awaited exchange of prisoners between Moscow and Kiev has begun today, a day after Russian President said for the first time the "large-scale" prisoner exchange with Ukraine was being finalised. - Planes carrying 70 Russian and Ukrainian prisoners involved in a landmark exchange landed on September 7, 2019 in Moscow and Kiev, with the Ukrainian leader personally greeting former inmates. (Photo by Vasily MAXIMOV / AFP)

Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron optimistic on Ukraine but clash over Syria

French President Emmanuel Macron (right) meets Russian President Vladimir Putin near the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas in France on Monday. Photo: Sputnik via Reuters

epa07781220 The helicopter of Russian President Vladimir Putin lands as he arrives for the meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the fort of Bregancon in France, 19 August 2019. President Putin pays a working visit to France at the invitation of French President. EPA-EFE/ALEXEI DRUZHININ / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL / POOL MANDATORY CREDIT

FILE - In this file photo taken on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019, Police officers detain a protester, during an unsanctioned rally in the center of Moscow, Russia. Russia's lower parliament house set up a commission on Monday Aug. 19, 2019, to examine alleged cases of foreign interference in connection with a recent series of protests, and is to hold its first session on Aug. 30. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, at his summer retreat of the Bregancon fortress on the Mediterranean coast, near the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas, southern France, on August 19, 2019. Gerard Julien/Pool via REUTERS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

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Zelensky said he had a ‘feeling’ that Putin was ready to improve ties
Emmanuel Macron has indicated that more sanctions against Moscow were not in France’s interests



Zelensky said he had a ‘feeling’ that Putin was ready to improve ties.


Russia

Vladimir Putin

US-Russia relations

Russia sanctions should remain until peace restored, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky says

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Zelensky said he had a ‘feeling’ that Putin was ready to improve ties Emmanuel Macron has indicated that more sanctions against Moscow were not in France’s interests

Zelensky said he had a ‘feeling’ that Putin was ready to improve ties

Emmanuel Macron has indicated that more sanctions against Moscow were not in France’s interests