Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared Russia’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire is obstructing peace efforts, heightening tensions ahead of his Washington visit Monday.
“Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation,” Zelensky stated on social media platform X.
His remarks follow a pivotal summit between US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska last Friday.
Trump now advocates bypassing a temporary truce to pursue an immediate permanent settlement, calling it “the best way to end the horrific war.”
This marks a sharp reversal from his pre-summit stance supporting a rapid ceasefire. During their post-summit call, Zelensky stressed to Trump that “the fire must cease” before sustainable peace talks, demanding security guarantees and the return of children allegedly abducted by Russia.
Putin reportedly proposed a deal requiring Ukrainian withdrawal from Donetsk in exchange for frozen frontlines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson a nonstarter for Kyiv, which views ceding Donbas as a potential springboard for future Russian attacks.
European leaders expressed concern Trump might pressure Zelensky into accepting unfavorable terms during their White House meeting. “Make a deal,” Trump advised Ukraine in a Fox News interview, noting starkly: “Russia’s a very big power and they’re not.”
European allies, including France, Germany, and the UK, will coordinate before Zelensky’s arrival, emphasizing any peace “cannot be decided without him.” While Putin called the Alaska talks “very useful,” Ukrainians voiced anguish over the summit’s optics.
“This spectacle with the red carpet… it’s terrible,” said Donetsk veteran Serhii Orlyk, capturing national unease. With Trump’s strategy shifting daily, the path to peace grows murkier. Will diplomatic pressure yield tangible results?
