Zelenskyy Wants Ceasefire, Russian Sanctions If Refusing

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of a meeting of European leaders/screenshot via X @ZelenskyyUa

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the need for a Russian-Ukraine ceasefire after negotiations with European leaders and US President Donald Trump.

"There must be a ceasefire first, then security guarantees, real security guarantees," Zelenskyy said.

"President (Donald) Trump expressed his support for that," he stressed.

The President of Ukraine has emphasized that Russia has no veto right to European views, including NATO, against Ukraine.

Zelensky reiterated Ukraine and their European allies wanted peace in Ukraine.

"Sanctions must be strengthened if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire in Alaska," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a previous statement warned of the need for pressure on Russia for a just peace.

This statement was made by the President of Ukraine hours before the virtual meeting of US President Donald Trump with European leaders with Zelenskyy.

"This war must end," Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

"We must learn from the experience of Ukraine and our partners to prevent deception from the Russian side," he continued.

According to him, there is no sign that Russia will end the war. It is necessary to take joint steps between Ukraine, Europe, including the United States.

Meanwhile, Russia insists its stance to end the war in Ukraine has not changed since President Vladimir Putin set its terms last year, namely the full withdrawal of Kyiv troops from key Ukrainian territories and leaving its NATO ambitions.

Putin and US President Donald Trump are scheduled to meet on Friday, August 15 in Alaska, the first US-Russia summit since 2021, to discuss efforts to end the war.

Trump said both sides should exchange parts of the territory they currently control so that this happens.

Russia currently controls 19% of Ukraine, including the entire Crimea, the entire Luhansk, more than 70% of Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions, as well as a small part of Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropxisk.

After several media reported Washington understood Putin was ready to compromise over his territorial demands, Russia's Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alexei Fadeev, confirmed Russia's position had not changed.

"Russia's position remains unchanged, and it was voiced in this hall more than a year ago, on June 14, 2024," Fadeev said, referring to Putin's speech at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the time, in its most complete public statement so far on a possible form of settlement, the Kremlin leadership filed a lawsuit, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions they still control.

Putin also said Kyiv should officially inform Moscow they are canceling plans to join the US-led NATO military alliance.

In addition, Putin said the rights and freedoms of Russian speakers in Ukraine must be guaranteed, and the "realty" of Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson are now part of Russia.