KABUL: Following remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Washington must not withdraw from ongoing peace efforts and discussions between Kyiv and Moscow.
In a statement on the X account on Monday night, Zelensky emphasized that Putin would be the only beneficiary of the U.S. stepping back from these negotiations.
He noted that he had two phone conversations with the U.S. President the previous night—first individually and then with leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Finland, and the European Union.
Zelensky remarked that the situation has reached a critical juncture, with the world watching whether leaders can establish a real ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
He stated that Ukraine is ready for a complete and unconditional ceasefire in bilateral talks with Trump.
The Ukrainian leader also mentioned that if the Kremlin is unwilling to agree to such a ceasefire, Europe and the West should impose stronger sanctions and pressures on Russia.
It is worth noting that the previous day, the U.S. Secretary of State warned that if peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia do not yield results, the U.S. would withdraw from them.