Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy affirmed on Monday that Kyiv is committed to intensive diplomacy to swiftly end the three-year conflict with Russia, emphasizing his hope for continued US support in securing peace.
The statements came three days after Zelenskiy’s White House meeting with US President Donald Trump, reportedly ending in tense exchanges. Zelenskiy’s comments highlighted the urgency of diplomatic solutions and the critical role of US backing in these efforts.
Trump had suggested his patience with the Ukrainian leader was wearing thin following an AP report quoting Zelenskiy saying the end of the war was “very, very far away.” This comment came during Zelenskiy’s attendance at a weekend meeting with European allies focused on developing a settlement plan, which occurred shortly after the contentious White House meeting.
“It is very important that we try to make our diplomacy substantive to end this war the soonest possible,” Zelenskiy wrote on X. “We are working together with America and our European partners and very much hope for US support on the path to peace. Peace is needed as soon as possible.”
Since the heated White House exchange, Zelenskiy has repeatedly emphasized that relations with Washington remain a priority and expressed confidence that any tensions can be resolved.
In subsequent Telegram messages following a call with Baltic state leaders who support Ukraine but did not attend Sunday’s European summit in London, Zelenskiy stressed unity among Ukraine and its partners, including the United States. He briefed the Baltic leaders on the summit’s outcomes and reiterated Ukraine’s need for security guarantees in any conflict settlement.
“Together, we must prepare an action plan to bring us closer to real security guarantees. There are concrete initiatives, and we will keep working,” he wrote. “Unity with all our partners is important for us to end the war as quickly as possible and provide a reliable and durable peace. Ukraine, Europe, and the USA – only together can we bring security back for all our people. And this is truly possible.”
In his nightly video address, the Ukrainian president emphasized that the absence of clear security guarantees had been a major factor behind Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 and the earlier 2014 revolt by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
“And now, due to the lack of clear security guarantees, Russia is keeping this war going. The whole world sees this, and the whole world acknowledges it,” he said. “Ukraine, all of Europe, and America, together we can ensure decades of stability. To achieve this, we must be constructive, work together, complement each others’ proposals and accelerate diplomacy to end the war.”
Ukraine’s parliament added its support with a statement describing Trump’s peacekeeping efforts as “decisive” in ending the war.
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