 "Zelenskyy calls Trump’s frontline ceasefire proposal a ‘good compromise’, doubts Putin’s support")
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that US president Donald Trump’s proposal for Ukraine and Russia to halt fighting along current frontlines was “a good compromise”.
During his visit to Nordic countries, Zelenskyy told reporters, as cited by AFP, that Trump had suggested both sides “stay where we stay and begin conversation”. However, he added that he was unsure whether Russian president Vladimir Putin would agree to the idea.
“It’s a good compromise, but I’m not sure that Putin will support it, and I said it to the [US] president,” Zelenskyy said.
Plans to hold a summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest have been put on hold as Ukraine and several European allies pushed for a ceasefire that does not involve territorial concessions from Kyiv.
Russia, meanwhile, said on Wednesday that preparations for a presidential summit between Putin and Trump were still continuing.
In recent days, Trump has urged both Moscow and Kyiv to stop the war at their current battle lines.
Trump said Tuesday he had shelved plans for a summit in Budapest with Putin in the coming weeks because he did not want a “wasted” meeting.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov meanwhile said Wednesday that preparations for a summit between Putin and Trump “are continuing”.
Trump said Tuesday that his plan for a swift meeting with Putin was on hold because he didn’t want it to be a “waste of time.” European leaders accused Putin of stalling.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that the planned summit requires careful preparation, suggesting that laying the groundwork could be protracted. “No one wants to waste time: neither President Trump nor President Putin,” he said. “These are the two presidents who are accustomed to working efficiently with high productivity.”
Zelenskyy urged the European Union, the United States and the Group of Seven industrialized nations to heap more pressure on Russia and force it to the negotiating table.
Pressure can be applied on Moscow “only through sanctions, long-range (missile) capabilities, and coordinated diplomacy among all our partners,” he said.
Zelenskyy credited Trump’s remarks that he was considering supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine for Putin’s willingness to meet.
Russia has not made significant progress on the battlefield where a war of attrition has taken a high toll on Russian infantry and Ukraine is short of manpower, military analysts say. Meanwhile, both sides have invested in long-range strike capabilities to hit rear areas.
With inputs from agencies
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