We have moved closer to a possible end of the war - Zelenskyy
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine, together with its global partners, has moved closer to a possible end to the war with Russia. It became possible primarily through the efforts of US President Donald Trump, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters.
'It’s not possible to end this war so quickly'
Zelenskyy emphasized that the situation in Ukraine has no analogs in the world, and its scale far exceeds that of other armed conflicts.
“I don’t want to belittle or exaggerate any particular country, but we can’t compare what’s happening in the Middle East to what’s happening here. It’s a completely different scale of war. It’s a different story,” he said.
The president stressed that despite the shared pain and losses, the war in Ukraine differs in the level of weapons used and the scale of operations.
“There are, of course, the same victims there, the same living people, and unfortunately, great losses. But this cannot be compared. The losses, the means, and the scope of the war simply cannot be compared,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
He also recalled that the Ukrainian army has been fighting against a much stronger enemy for more than three years.
“We are fighting against the Russian army. That’s why it’s not possible to end this war so quickly,” the president said.
'We have moved closer to a possible end of the war'
Zelenskyy said that there have been preconditions for real progress toward peace.
“We have moved closer to a possible end of the war. I’m telling you for sure. That doesn’t mean it will definitely end, but President Trump has achieved a lot in the Middle East, and riding that wave, he wants to end Russia’s war against Ukraine,” the head of state said.
According to Zelenskyy, a strong political demand to end the war is emerging in international negotiations.
“That’s the mood he and the world have now: let’s put all our efforts into ending Russia’s war against Ukraine,” he said.
The president added that Ukraine is actively taking advantage of this sentiment to increase its pressure on Russia both militarily and diplomatically.
“We’re taking steps in this mood — Tomahawks and so on — and these are new steps, and they really put pressure on Russia,” Zelenskyy stressed.
Meeting in Washington and Trump’s proposal
According to Reuters, Trump pushed Zelenskyy to hand over several territories to Russia during a tense meeting on Friday, which left the Ukrainian delegation disappointed.
Trump also refused to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles and spoke about giving security guarantees to both Kyiv and Moscow.
After meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump publicly called for a ceasefire along the front line, and the Ukrainian president later supported this position in comments to journalists.
When asked whether he told Zelenskyy that Ukraine should hand over all of Donbas to Russia, Trump answered negatively. “Let it be cut the way it is. It's cut up right now. I think 78% of the land is already taken by Russia,” Trump said.
