Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for intensified pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt his country’s three-year-long invasion, as Ukrainian and US officials engaged in ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
“No matter what we talk about with our partners, we need to push Putin to give a real order to stop the strikes: the one who brought this war must take it away,” Zelenskyy said in an address posted on social media Sunday evening.
The discussions in Riyadh focused on a potential ceasefire in the Black Sea, with a Ukrainian delegation meeting US officials late Sunday. Meanwhile, Russian officials are set to hold separate negotiations with American counterparts on Monday.
Putin has dismissed a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire, agreeing only to a halt in aerial strikes on energy infrastructure.
Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have carried out intense aerial attacks in recent days, escalating hostilities ahead of the negotiations.
“It is clear to absolutely everyone in the world that Russia is the only one who is dragging this war out,” Zelenskyy asserted.
“Since March 11, there has been a proposal for an unconditional ceasefire, and such attacks would have stopped by now. But it is Russia that continues all this. And every night, every day, it delivers the most cynical strikes possible,” he added.
The Ukrainian leader stressed that without continued international pressure, Russia would keep disregarding diplomacy and prolonging the conflict.
“Without pressure on Russia, they will continue to despise real diplomacy in Moscow and continue to destroy lives,” Zelenskyy said.
