Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to Twitter to reiterate his call to allies to totally end trading with Russia, which he believes will also end the violence in his country.
In a series of tweets, Zelenskyy pointed out that trading with Russia would only continue the murder of innocent lives. He urged the public to take a moral stand against Russia, which should be punished heavily for its crime.
"All trade with Russia must be stopped! So that it can't sponsor the killing of our children. Ukrainians all over the world! Contact politicians, talk to journalists, put pressure on business to leave the Russian market. So that their dollars & euros aren't paid for our blood," Zelenskyy said.
"The price for this war against must be extremely painful for Russia. This pressure is a task for all Ukrainians at home & abroad, as well as for all friends & partners of our country. Everyone in the world must take a moral stand. Not only the state, but also companies," he stressed.
Zelenskyy raised that there should be no halftones or half decisions when making a moral stand against Russia. He emphasized that there is only good or evil, black and white. He said that a person is either in support of the Russian aggressor who is killing Ukrainian women and children or in support of peace. He then called out Oracle, Microsoft, and SAP to stop supporting their products in Russia to end the war.
The president also disclosed conducting regular international talks for an increase in financial support for Ukraine to defend itself from Russia. He said the discussion included additional sanctions to pressure Russia. He revealed speaking to the European Council President Charles Michel for their ongoing negotiations for European membership.
Last Friday, Zelenskyy similarly had a "substantive conversation" with President Joe Biden, who agreed to increase sanctions against Russia. The Ukrainian president shared that the agreement was arrived after informing Biden of the crimes of Russia against civilians, which is based on his personal assessment of the situation. The United States imposed sanctions on Russia several days after Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The United States last Friday, through Secretary of State Antony Blinken, declared that it continues to ensure with its allies and partners that Russia will pay a severe and economic diplomatic price for invading Ukraine.
Part of the additional actions the Biden Administration initiated is to work with the U.S. Congress in denying Russia its benefits from the World Trade Organization where it is a member. This entails Russian imports would not be receiving a favored treatment across the United States. This is in addition to the ban imposed by Biden on Russian exports and imports. Plus, sanctions were imposed on Russian companies in the United States.
United States Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price in a press briefing on Monday pointed out that Putin has gravely miscalculated his invasion plan on Ukraine. Price cited that the Russian military is stalled in many areas in Ukraine and is not showing significant progress in the last three weeks after launching their unprovoked war. He also highlighted the dissenting voices of Russians who have spoken bravely against Putin's unjustified war.
In addition, Price stressed that the series of sanctions and other economic measures instituted against Russia has brought their economy in "dire straits." He said the sanctions would perpetually cripple Russia unless it takes the diplomatic route.
"Russia today, Russia going forward, it is a much weaker country. It is a country that is in a strategically unenviable position, because of the diplomatic isolation, the diplomatic rebuke; but, also, the economic costs and the export controls, the measures that we have put in place to see to it that Russia cannot import the inputs, key components it needs for its strategic ambitions in the world. That is not going to change. That will not change until and unless President Putin changes course," Price stressed.
