On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continued to stress his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t want to end the war.
In a video that was posted on X Zelenskyy stated that it has been almost a full week since his country accepted a proposal for a ceasefire initiated by the U.S. but Putin is still refusing to accept the deal.
Zelenskyy stated, “Tomorrow marks a week since the U.S. proposed a ceasefire on the sea, in the air, and at the frontlines was on the table. This proposal should have been implemented long ago. In wartime, every day is a matter involving human lives. It’s now clear that Putin is the one who has been prolonging this war. This is true even for those who have refused to admit the truth over the last three years.”
“Putin has not been able to get a ‘yes” to the ceasefire offer for a week. He says whatever he likes, but it’s not what everyone wants to hear. The unconditional ceasefire is about saving lives and allowing diplomats time to work towards a lasting peace. But Russia ignores this proposal. It is necessary to apply pressure to Moscow to make them accept the end of their war.”
Donald Trump will reportedly speak to Putin via telephone on Tuesday, their first direct conversation in over a month.
Karoline L. Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, told reporters on Monday that the President is determined to reach a deal.
Trump said in a Truth Social posting Monday that Moscow had agreed to “many” elements of a deal for peace, “but there is still much left.”
After negotiations between U.S. officials and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia last week, Kyiv agreed on a 30-day truce as a springboard to a larger peace agreement. Putin is reported to have said that he supports the ceasefire but has set additional conditions for its execution and suggested that a pause in fighting would be beneficial for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy released several statements since then, in which he portrayed Putin as a person who intentionally hindered ceasefire negotiations. He reported on Saturday that Russian troops were massing along the border of Ukraine’s eastern Sumy Region.
Zelenskyy posted on X “This is an indication of an attack intention. We know about this and we will fight it. I want all my partners to know what Putin has planned, what he’s preparing for, and what he’ll ignore.”
“The building up of Russian forces shows that Moscow will continue to ignore diplomacy. Russia has extended the war. We are prepared to give our partners all the information they need on the situation along our border, at the front, and in the Kursk area.”
