Zelenskyy Rejects Putin's Truce Terms: Afraid to Admit It Differs from Trump's Stance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has strongly criticized his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, regarding the latter's actions. in response to the U.S.'s 30-day truce, Describing it as "manipulative," Zelenskyy called for additional sanctions against Moscow. He also alleged that Putin is planning to decline the ceasefire agreement but is hesitant to inform U.S. President Donald Trump about this directly.

"At present, he is actually getting ready for a rejection since Putin, naturally, is too afraid to inform President Trump about his desire to keep the war going and continues wanting to harm Ukrainians," stated the Ukrainian President during an address. This comment comes after his recent trip to the White House ended up as a heated argument with Trump.

Zelenskyy claimed that Putin’s refusal to halt the hostilities is behind his preconditioned approach to the ceasefire offer, making sure “that nothing occurs whatsoever, or ensuring it won’t happen for an extended period,” according to reports from Reuters.

The Ukrainian President stated that this can be ensured using America’s potential along with Europe’s capabilities.

He further stated that a truce would offer an opportunity to develop solutions for every issue related to "lasting security and genuine, dependable peace," as well as present a strategy to conclude the conflict.

On Thursday, Putin stated that Russia generally supported the U.S. proposal but requested some clarifications and stipulations. He further noted that various aspects needed resolution prior to achieving an agreement on the deal, emphasizing that it ought to tackle the fundamental issues causing the conflict.

"We concur with the suggestion to stop fighting [in Ukraine], yet we believe this halt needs to result in lasting peace and address the underlying issues fueling this conflict," he stated to journalists at the Kremlin after meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, according to a subsequent tweet by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in numerous casualties and forced many into exile since it began in February 2022. Putin’s comments seemed to indicate that a swift cessation of hostilities was unlikely.

Putin expressed gratitude to Trump for his endeavors toward achieving a ceasefire. In response, Trump described the Russian President’s remarks as “highly encouraging” and stated his hope that they would proceed correctly.

“At this point, we have individuals engaged in conversations in Russia; we also have representatives present there, including Steve Witkoff and others,” Trump informed journalists during an Oval Office discussion with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Trump additionally mentioned that he was open to discussing matters with Putin via telephone.

On Wednesday, the U.S. President cautioned Russia regarding potential economic consequences if it did not adhere to the ceasefire agreement reached during talks between Kyiv and Washington in Saudi Arabia.

In recent times, Russia has been stretched thin during its assault in the Kursk area Russian authorities stated that they had expelled the Ukrainian Army from the largest city in Kursk.