Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders who arrived in Kyiv spoke by phone with US leader Donald Trump after the meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing".
This was reported by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha.
From left to right: Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Emmanuel Macron, Donald Tusk, Friedrich Merz.
The conversation was "constructive". The main topic was peace efforts. Sybiha emphasized that Ukraine and all allies are ready for a complete unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea for at least 30 days, starting on Monday, May 12.
"If Russia agrees and effective monitoring is ensured, a lasting ceasefire and confidence-building measures could pave the way for peace talks," Sybiha stressed.
Ceasefire negotiations
Washington is negotiating with Russia and Ukraine to end the war, but a true ceasefire is still in sight. Kyiv has already agreed to halt hostilities in the Black Sea and not attack Russian energy facilities during a 30-day truce. Moscow, in return, has only promised not to attack energy facilities and said it would implement agreements on the Black Sea only after Western sanctions are lifted.
The US President Donald Trump threatened to impose massive sanctions on Russia, including banking sanctions and new tariffs, unless there is a ceasefire and a peace deal with Ukraine. However, he has not done so. But in the past week, US rhetoric towards Russia has begun to intensify.
Thus, when asked by a journalist about Russiaʼs concessions in the context of the peace agreement, Trump stated that Russia would have to give up all of Ukraine:
"Russia will have to give up all of Ukraine. Because Russia wants all of Ukraine. And if I hadnʼt intervened, they would have continued to fight for all of Ukraine right now. Russia doesnʼt just need the piece it has now — it needs all of Ukraine," the US president said.
The US Vice President J.D. Vance said that Russia is demanding "too much" during peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.
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