Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned today that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin understands only force and pressure, Ukrinform reported.
"This war must be ended. Pressure must be exerted on Russia to end the war," Zelensky urged in his evening video address. He argued that "Russian dictator" Putin "understands only force and pressure".
US President Donald Trump is absolutely right when he says that Ukraine cannot defend itself through defense alone, Zelensky also said. He called on the Ukrainian armed forces to go on the offensive to put "pressure on Russia".
Zelensky said this in response to Trump's comment on his social platform "Truth Social" that "it is very difficult, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking the aggressor country," DPA notes.
In recent days, the Ukrainian army has been counterattacking in the northeastern Sumy region and near the important logistics center of the city of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region, the capture of which is now Russia's main goal.
"Meanwhile, we are not slowing down the pace of diplomacy, in all our contacts with partners, in order to conduct negotiations - such negotiations that can really bring us closer to peace," Zelensky also said.
Putin is ready to meet with Zelensky, but first all issues must be resolved, including the Ukrainian president's authority to sign a peace agreement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, quoted by Reuters, BTA reported.
Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump met on Friday in Alaska for the first Russian-US summit in more than four years, at which the two discussed how to end the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Trump said on Monday that he had begun arranging a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, which would be followed by a three-way summit with his participation.
Asked by reporters whether Putin was willing to meet with the Ukrainian president, Lavrov said that Putin "has said several times that he is ready to meet, including with Zelensky."
At the same time, he added that this would be done "with the understanding that all issues that require consideration at the highest level will be well developed, and experts and ministers will prepare the appropriate recommendations." "And with the understanding that when it comes to signing future documents, the issue of the legitimacy of the signatory of these agreements from the Ukrainian side will be resolved," the Russian foreign minister added.
Putin has in the past questioned Zelensky's legitimacy because his term was due to expire in May last year, but new elections were not held because of the war. Kiev says Zelensky remains the legitimate president. Russian officials say they are worried that if Zelensky signs an agreement, the next Ukrainian leader could challenge it on the grounds that Zelensky's term has expired. Zelensky himself said this week that Kiev would like a "strong reaction" from Washington, if Putin does not want to sit at the negotiating table with him.
According to Lavrov, Kiev shows a lack of interest in a long-term solution to the conflict.
“Representatives of the Ukrainian regime are commenting on the current situation in a rather specific way, directly showing that they are not interested in a sustainable, fair and long-term solution“, said the head of the Russian foreign ministry, quoted by TASS. The minister said that Zelensky is trying to replace serious work on resolving the crisis with simple rhetoric about a possible meeting with Putin.
“As for the meeting Zelensky is talking about, remember how until recently he said that he would never negotiate with Putin. And he has not yet revoked his decree from three years ago, which prohibits negotiations with Putin. His activity on the topic of organizing a high-level meeting with the Russian leader is clearly intended to show his supposedly constructive direction towards a settlement, but in reality he is simply replacing the serious, heavy, difficult work of negotiating the principles for a sustainable resolution of the crisis with effects in the style of (comedies – editor's note) KVN and “Kvartal 95“ and other numbers“, the Russian minister noted.
Reuters notes that European leaders say they are skeptical about whether Putin is really interested in peace, but are looking for a reliable way to guarantee Ukraine's security as part of a potential peace agreement.
Lavrov said that neither Ukraine nor European leaders want peace. He accused the so-called coalition of the willing, which includes major European powers such as Britain, France, Germany and Italy, of trying to undermine the progress achieved in Alaska between Putin and Trump.
“As for the motives that guide the so-called Coalition of the Willing, I see many signs that this activity is aimed precisely at undermining the progress that was clearly outlined during the high-level meeting in Alaska, as a result of the contacts between representatives of the US administration and the Russian side before that“, the minister said, quoted by TASS.
“The goals that remain of the current Ukrainian leadership, and these goals, undoubtedly, are supported by the Western sponsors of the Kiev regime, are directed against the efforts of President Trump, with whom we are actively and concretely cooperating in finding long-term, sustainable ways of a solution to eliminate the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict“, he added Lavrov.
At the same time, he said that European leaders are interested in achieving a strategic defeat for Russia, Reuters reported.
„European countries followed Zelensky to Washington and there tried to push their agenda, which is aimed at ensuring that security guarantees are built on the logic of isolating Russia, uniting the Western world with Ukraine in order to continue an aggressive confrontational policy, containing the Russian Federation, which, of course, means inflicting a strategic defeat on us. Of course, this cannot evoke any feelings in us other than complete rejection,” the minister added, quoted by TASS.
According to Lavrov, the best option for security guarantees for Ukraine would be based on discussions between Moscow and Kiev in Istanbul in 2022. According to the draft agreement reviewed by Reuters, Ukraine is required to maintain permanent neutrality in exchange for international security guarantees from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. According to Lavrov, any attempts to distance itself from the discussions in Istanbul would be hopeless.