Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said that Russia’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire is complicating efforts to end the war.
“We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation,” Zelensky said in a statement on X.
On Monday, Zelensky will travel to Washington DC, where US President Donald Trump has said he will urge the Ukrainian leader to agree to a peace deal.
Trump said he wants to bypass a ceasefire in Ukraine and move directly to a permanent peace agreement after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a major shift in position, the US president wrote on Truth Social following Friday’s summit that this would be “the best way to end the horrific war”, as ceasefires often “do not hold up”.
Following a phone call with Trump after the summit, Zelensky called for a real, lasting peace, while adding that “the fire must cease” and killings stop.
He later outlined Ukraine’s requirements for “a truly sustainable and reliable peace”, including a “credible security guarantee” and the return of children he says were “abducted from occupied territories” by Moscow.
