Kyiv: Zelensky Russia peace deal negotiations have been hindered as Moscow refuses to agree to a ceasefire, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
Zelensky noted that Russia continues to dismiss international appeals to halt fighting, making it difficult to move towards an end to the war. President is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington, where the American leader has pledged to encourage Ukraine to accept a permanent settlement.
Trump has indicated that Trump wants to bypass a temporary ceasefire, arguing that such arrangements often collapse, and instead seek a long-term solution with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump has said that Russia may be prepared to make ‘some concessions’, but reports suggest Moscow’s proposal involves Ukraine withdrawing from Donetsk in exchange for freezing front lines elsewhere.
Zelensky has firmly rejected any suggestion of ceding territory, insisting that true peace must include credible security guarantees and the return of children taken from occupied regions.
European officials have expressed concern that Trump could pressure Kyiv into compromises discussed at the Alaska summit. Leaders in France, Germany, and the European Commission have underlined that only Ukraine can decide on its territory and that borders must not be altered by force.
While Putin described the Alaska talks as ‘very useful’, the two sides did not reach an agreement. A Russian diplomat later said that the summit laid groundwork for further discussions. Meanwhile, the UK, France, and Germany, along with other allies, are preparing coordinated talks with Zelensky before his White House meeting.
Many Ukrainians remain wary of the spectacle of Trump’s engagement with Putin, fearing that symbolic gestures may overshadow the reality of continued Russian aggression.
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