Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready to organize presidential elections in the country if Russia agrees to a full 60-day ceasefire. The proposal comes amid growing tensions between Kiev and Washington after US President Donald Trump called for a change of Ukrainian leadership, Reuters reports.
In an interview with the American television ABC, Zelensky suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin agree to a two-month truce that would allow elections to be held. The Ukrainian head of state stressed that only the citizens of Ukraine have the right to decide who should rule the country. His statement is a response to comments by Trump, who accused Kiev of contributing to the increase in fuel prices by attacking Russian oil refineries.
Zelensky rejected the accusations, pointing out that the increase in the price of energy resources is primarily related to the war in the Middle East. At the same time, he said that Ukraine is ready to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow stops attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. According to him, such an agreement should be mutual and include real guarantees.
Meanwhile, Germany confirmed its support for the Ukrainian president. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful said that Berlin continues to support Zelensky and insists on increasing pressure on Russia to force it to return to peace talks. The position comes after Washington's decision to temporarily ease sanctions on Russian fuels and the announced agreement between Trump and Putin on diesel supplies. Germany said it would maintain sanctions against Moscow.
On the military front, attacks on strategic infrastructure continue. Russian technology company Yandex said its data center in the Vladimir region had been completely shut down after a drone strike. No one was injured, but some of the company's services were unavailable. This is the third major Yandex data center to be hit by attacks in recent days, following strikes on facilities in the Kaluga region and Sasovo.
The new diplomatic proposals come at a time when efforts to end the war remain without a significant breakthrough. The main disagreements between Moscow and Kiev continue to be over control of Ukrainian territory, the terms of a ceasefire and guarantees for Ukraine's security.