Zelenskyy warns of risks as Ukrainian drones disrupt Moscow airspace

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that potential sanctions relief for Russia, possibly under a Donald Trump administration, could lead to a normalization of relations with Moscow despite a lack of Russian willingness to agree to ceasefires. Zelenskyy expressed specific concern regarding the fate of frozen Russian assets, suggesting that concessions on energy could lead to the lifting of sanctions in other sectors, including banking and the chemical industry.

Simultaneously, Ukraine continues to exert pressure through military innovation. Ukrainian drones, utilizing domestically produced artificial intelligence for target acquisition, have been disrupting air traffic over Moscow almost daily as part of military operation ‘M&Ms’. While these strikes aim to damage the Russian economy and increase leverage in future peace negotiations, they also raise concerns regarding global aviation safety.

Tensions between Kyiv and Washington have also been highlighted by a recent agreement allowing Russia to export diesel to the US and other markets, a move Zelenskyy criticized for providing Moscow with additional revenue to fund the war.