Zelenskyy says Putin would try to wriggle out of deadline, calling it his favorite tactic

“Two weeks ago in Washington, it was said that this is the time when the Russians should be ready for real negotiations - at the leaders’ level. Ukraine is unquestionably ready for this. But the only thing Russia does is to continue the war,” Zelenskyy emphasized.

According to the Ukrainian President, all signals from Russia point to this.

“Now, during his visit to China, Putin will once again try to evade. This is his number-one sport,” the Ukrainian leader stressed.

Zelenskyy explained that everyone in the world has called for a ceasefire and insisted that the war must end.

“That was the position of everyone, China, India’s Prime Minister, and other leaders at the summit, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan. Almost everyone else in the world also supports ending the war. Today, we have a principled statement from the Pope - thank you for that. The only one who wants war is Russia,” the Ukrainian President noted.

Zelenskyy emphasized that the pressure on Russia must continue.

“We expect no one will tolerate the prolonging of the war. We rely on a strong stance from the United States, Europe, and G20 countries. This war only adds instability to global processes. Russia must pay for this. And it will,” the Ukrainian leader concluded.

Earlier today, Pope Leo XIV urged the world to abandon the logic of weapons and immediately engage in negotiations over the war in Ukraine

As Zelenskyy noted, during Putin’s trip to China today, the Kremlin cynically justified his refusal to meet with the President of Ukraine.