Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on September 27th, 2025, that Europe must cease importing Russian oil and gas, asserting that these funds directly finance the war and that economic pressure could lead to internal dissatisfaction in Russia. Zelensky made these remarks via X, formerly Twitter, in two separate posts, one at approximately 5:54 PM UTC and another at 6:20 PM UTC, also welcoming Syria's arrest warrant for former president Bashar al-Assad, who he claims is hiding in Moscow with other "high-level criminals." In his statement regarding energy imports, Zelensky argued that halting Russian oil and gas revenue would decrease social support within Russia, potentially leading to public dissatisfaction and historical instances of societal change following unrest. He expressed full support for the U.S. position and offered Ukraine's assistance to Europe in finding alternative logistics, emphasizing that this should be part of comprehensive sanctions including the "shadow fleet," banking sector, and a halt to Russia's ability to trade and export goods by sea. Regarding Bashar al-Assad, Zelensky criticized Moscow as the "capital of impunity" where notorious criminals hide from justice, stating that Russia covers up its own and others' crimes. He called for collective action and accountability to end impunity and expressed gratitude to those reinforcing international law and rebuilding countries devastated by Assad and others. Previous reports from September 27th detail other developments, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirming the operational status of one Israeli-made Patriot air defense system in Ukraine for a month, with two more anticipated. Separately, in Podolsk, Moscow Region, two pensioners detonated fireworks inside a bank branch, an incident that sources described as a "rehearsal" for New Year's celebrations. Diplomatic tensions also persist between Hungary and Ukraine over a drone incident, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán urging Zelensky to cease "harassing" Hungary.
