The US President spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Putin, more reserved, said he would work with Ukraine on a ‘memorandum’ on a possible peace accord.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the United States not to “distance itself” from peace talks in a post on the platform X.
“It is crucial for all of us that the United States does not distance itself from the talks and the pursuit of peace, because the only one who benefits from that is Putin,” Zelenskyy said.
He said that he told US President Donald Trump that Kyiv was “ready for a full and unconditional ceasefire” and “direct negotiations with Russia in any format that brings results.”
“It is not necessary to convince Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “What’s needed is a mirrored readiness from Russia to engage in meaningful talks.”
Zelenskyy called for Western states to impose further sanctions on Moscow if Russian President Vladimir Putin makes “unrealistic demands” in talks and “continues to drag out the war” in Ukraine.
“Ukraine has always been ready for peace,” he said.
Moscow has called on Ukraine to withdraw its troops from four southern and eastern regions Russia claimed to have annexed in late 2022 but only partially controls.
Earlier on Monday, Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv that Ukraine would not withdraw its forces from the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk.
Trump has in the past suggested that Zelenskyy’s government is an impediment to peace talks. Late in April, the US president said that Zelenskyy’s refusal to recognize Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea constituted “inflammatory statements” that made it “difficult to settle” the war.
