Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today declared that Russia’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire is “complicating” efforts to end the war, a blunt statement that puts him at odds with the Trump administration’s new strategy to bypass a temporary truce in favor of a full-fledged peace agreement. Zelensky’s comments come just days after a summit in Alaska where President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a path to peace, leaving Ukraine’s leader to grapple with a new diplomatic reality.
In a post on X, Zelensky said, “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.” He stressed that stopping the violence is a key element of ending the war and expressed gratitude for the support of his European partners, who are working to coordinate a response ahead of his own meeting with Trump in Washington on Monday.
The Ukrainian president’s firm stance is a direct pushback against the outcome of the Trump-Putin summit, which concluded without a ceasefire agreement. In a surprising pivot, President Trump said on his social media platform that he and his team had determined that a “mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,” was not the best way forward. This new position, which aligns with Russia’s long-held demands, has created deep unease in Kyiv and across Europe.
A report by the Times of India, citing a diplomatic source, revealed that Russia has demanded full control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as a condition for ending the war. This demand, which Zelensky has categorically rejected, is at the heart of the complex negotiations. Putin has reportedly told Trump that in exchange for the Donbas, he would halt further offensives in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Russian forces control significant territory.
The shift in the U.S. position has also put a spotlight on the differing visions of peace. While the Trump administration now appears focused on a peace deal that might include territorial concessions, Ukrainian and European officials have insisted that any resolution must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and include “ironclad security guarantees.”
For now, all eyes are on Monday’s scheduled meeting at the White House between President Trump and President Zelensky. The talks are expected to be tense, as Zelensky will not only have to navigate the ongoing war on the battlefield but also a new diplomatic front where the rules of engagement are being rewritten.