Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has once again called on the United States to enhance pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin as efforts to facilitate peace talks continue in the wake of Russia’s sustained aggression.
In a recent message shared on Telegram, Zelenskyy highlighted the increasing intensity of Russian strikes, noting that these assaults have escalated significantly in both scale and frequency.
“Russian strikes are becoming increasingly brazen and large-scale every night,” he stated, referring to the aggressive use of over 900 drones and missiles across consecutive days.
Zelenskyy characterized these actions not as military strategies but as a deliberate political decision by Putin to perpetuate the conflict.
“There is no military logic in this, but it is a clear political choice — the choice of Putin, the choice of Russia — the choice to keep waging war and destroying lives,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
The Ukrainian president is advocating for robust sanctions against Russia, appealing for unified international support from the U.S., Europe, and other global players committed to peace.
“New and strong sanctions against Russia will serve as a guaranteed means of forcing Russia not only to cease fire, but also to show respect,” he added, stressing the need for Putin to engage sincerely in diplomatic dialogue.
Zelenskyy’s rhetoric aims to frame Putin as the primary obstacle to a potential peace agreement, amid challenging interactions with the administration of President Donald Trump.
Despite months of peace negotiations facilitated by the U.S., a satisfactory framework for a ceasefire or peace deal remains elusive.
During the weekend, Trump expressed growing frustration, stating that Putin had become “absolutely crazy” while criticizing Zelenskyy for creating “problems” with his public remarks.
In a Tuesday post on Truth Social, Trump reiterated his influence over Russia, asserting, “Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire!”
Simultaneously, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov remarked that Trump’s comments reflected his emotions as he accused European politicians of undermining peace efforts by encouraging Ukraine to undertake reckless actions, such as drone strikes against Moscow.
In the pursuit of peace, Kyiv has proposed a 30-day ceasefire to facilitate discussions; however, Russia has consistently rejected this offer.
Last week, Putin informed Trump that Russia was in the process of drafting a memorandum outlining its negotiating stance, yet Kyiv and its Western allies suspect the Kremlin is deliberately delaying talks.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, informed reporters on Tuesday that Moscow is still working on this memorandum, promising to forward it to Kyiv upon completion.
She added, “We expect that the Ukrainian side is doing the same work and will send us its developments simultaneously with the receipt of the Russian document.”
Zelenskyy expressed skepticism over the seriousness of the Russian proposal, questioning the progress given the ongoing hostilities.
“They’ve already spent over a week on this,” he said. “They talk a lot about diplomacy. But when, in the midst of all that, there are constant Russian strikes, constant killings, relentless assaults, and even preparations for new offensives.”
Ukrainian officials have persistently pressed Trump for stricter sanctions on Moscow to curb the Kremlin’s ambitious war objectives, which include the annexation of Ukrainian territory, Ukrainian demilitarization, and blocking Ukraine’s NATO membership indefinitely.
Despite these calls, the U.S. response has been limited, even as Trump has hinted at the possibility of imposing new sanctions to persuade Putin to enter into negotiations.
On the military front, both sides have engaged in drone warfare, with Ukraine’s air force claiming to have shot down 43 of the 60 Russian drones launched into its territory recently.
Confirmed impacts were reported in nine locations, accompanied by debris falling in three areas, while Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have downed 99 Ukrainian drones across seven regions.
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