(MENAFN) U.S. Leader Donald Trump has dismissed appeals from Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky for more stringent penalties against Russia, asserting that the ultimate choice rests solely with him.

Zelensky has been persistent in his campaign for expanded sanctions, accusing the Russian government of not honoring its pledges toward peace.

Since the intensification of the Ukraine crisis in 2022, Western allies have implemented extensive punitive actions against Moscow—actions that Russia has consistently criticized as unlawful and ineffective.

In response to a question from journalists on Wednesday about the possibility of imposing further measures, Trump stated that such a decision would be “my determination” and “nobody else’s.”

He mentioned a recent two-and-a-half-hour phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, followed by discussions with European Union officials.

“We’ll see how Russia behaves. We’ll see what’s going to happen,” Trump remarked, emphasizing, “We have a pretty critical time right now.”

Both leaders described their exchange on Monday as constructive.

Trump expressed confidence in Putin’s willingness to bring the war to an end and cautioned that increasing financial restrictions might obstruct U.S. efforts to mediate the situation.

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