President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios that President Trump's new sanctions will hurt the Russian war machine, but Ukraine still needs long-range missiles to force Vladimir Putin to make peace.

Axar.az informs in a 35-minute phone interview on Sunday, Zelensky said the sanctions "will make a difference," but suggested Putin won't budge unless Trump piles on more pressure.

"President Trump is concerned about escalation. But I think that if there are no negotiations, there will be an escalation anyway. I think that if Putin doesn't stop, we need something to stop him. Sanctions is one such weapon, but we also need long-range missiles," Zelensky said.

Zelensky discussed the issue with Starmer and other European leaders last week. He told them the situations in Gaza and Ukraine are different, but he's willing to work on it.

The plan should be short, without too many details, Zelensky said. "Some quick points. Like a plan for a ceasefire. We decided we will work on it in the next week or ten days."

He stressed he's skeptical that Putin is ready to accept any peace plan.

You can read the full interview here.