 "'Stop the killing': Zelensky says Putin ‘complicating the situation’ by refusing ceasefire as Trump pushes for deal")
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday accused Russia of blocking peace efforts by refusing to agree to a ceasefire, more than three years into the war, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin is “complicating the situation.”
“We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation,” Zelensky wrote in a post on X.
Slamming Moscow for lacking “the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes,” he added, “it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater — peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades.” He stressed that “Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war.”
His remarks were accompanied by a joint document from the leaders of eight Nordic-Baltic nations — Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden — reaffirming their support for Kyiv and backing US President Donald Trump’s mediation efforts.
“We welcome President Trump’s statement that the U.S. is prepared to participate in security guarantees. No limitations should be placed on Ukraine’s armed forces or on its cooperation with other countries,” the statement said.
Zelensky’s Washington visit
Zelensky confirmed he will meet President Trump on Monday (Aug 18), calling it an important opportunity to clarify “all the details and determine which steps are necessary and will work.”
The announcement followed Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday (Aug 15). Despite the high stakes, the three-hour meeting failed to secure a ceasefire. At a press conference afterwards, Trump summed it up bluntly: “No deal until there’s a deal.”
Although the summit ended without an agreement, both leaders described their talks as “very productive.” Their joint press conference concluded without taking questions from reporters.
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