Zelenskyy: Putin's Conditions Clearly Show Not Wanting Peace

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that his party approved "US proposals for an unconditional ceasefire, but Russia remains the only obstacle to peace.

In a series of posts on X commemorating Military Volunteer Day, Zelenskyy said no one wanted peace more than Ukraine, where Russia's "special military operations" continued for more than three years.

US President Donald Trump has taken the initiative to end the war through negotiations.

"When our team in Jeddah heard this suggestion, they contacted me, and I immediately agreed. We don't want to play games in war. Every day of war means the loss of the lives of our people -- the most valuable thing we have," he said as quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Saturday, March 15.

The proposal was accepted by Ukraine during negotiations with the US earlier this week. In return, the US continued military aid and intelligence sharing with Kiev, which was suspended after an argument between Zelenskyy, Trump and US Vice President JD Vance at the White House last month.

Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin, who in principle agreed with the ceasefire but called for addressing the root causes of the conflict, used time-consuming tactics and did not want a ceasefire.

"Yesterday, we heard from Putin, he put forward some conditions that clearly showed he didn't want a ceasefire. He needed the war -- it's always clear, and now it's clear," Zelenskyy said.

He also claimed that Putin lied about "the real situation on the battlefield."

He urged Ukrainian allies to put strong pressure on Moscow to prevent further delays.

"Putin will try to drag everyone into endless discussions, as he did with 'Minsk,' wasting days, weeks and months on meaningless talks while his weapons continue to kill people," he said.

Zelenskyy thanked Saudi Arabia for its mediation efforts and stressed that Ukraine was ready to work on a structured peace plan after the ceasefire was imposed.

"The US proposal is an opportunity to stop the war quickly. However, strong steps are needed to ensure Russia complies with it," he continued.