'Ready for peace, but don't trust Russia': Ukraine's Zelenskyy after call with Trump

After speaking with US President Donald Trump and several European leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was unsure whether Russia was serious about a ceasefire, citing a lack of trust in Moscow’s intentions.

“I don’t know the principles from the Russian side,” Zelenskyy said. “As I understood from our dialogue with US President Trump, the Russian side wants to send us a memo outlining their principles, and they are looking for more than just a ceasefire.”

“I truly hope everyone is genuinely committed to a ceasefire. There have been too many losses; we sincerely want to end this war. But I’m not convinced that Russia is ready, and we don’t trust them. What we ask from them, as a first step, is a ceasefire to show they are truly willing to stop the war,” he added.

The Ukrainian President also highlighted his ongoing communication with international partners, saying, “I always keep our partners, like the United States and Europe, informed. I was very glad when President Trump proposed a full ceasefire without any conditions. We’ve been ready for that. Our position is clear: first a ceasefire, then steps like a prisoner exchange.”

Zelenskyy’s remarks followed a call with Trump and European leaders, during which he reaffirmed Ukraine’s readiness for direct negotiations with Russia.

This development comes after US President Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately” begin negotiations towards a ceasefire and a possible end to the ongoing war, with the Vatican offering to host the talks following the recent failure of ceasefire discussions in Istanbul, despite an agreed prisoner exchange between the two nations.

This is a developing story.