Zelenskyy says Putin's conditions 'clearly show he doesn't want peace'

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said he “immediately agreed” to a US proposal for an unconditional ceasefire and Russia remains the only obstacle to peace.

In a series of posts on X marking Military Volunteer Day, Zelenskyy said no one desires peace more than Ukraine, where Russia's "special military operation" continues for more than three years. US President Donald Trump, has taken an initiative to end the war through negotiations.

"When our team in Jeddah heard this proposal, they contacted me, and I immediately agreed," he said. "We do not want to play games with war. Every day of war means losing the lives of our people – the most valuable thing we have."

The proposal was accepted by Ukraine during negotiations with the US earlier this week. In return, the US resumed military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv, which it suspended after a shouting match between Zelenskyy, Trump and US Vice President JD Vance at the White House last month.

Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has agreed with a ceasefire in principle but has called to address the root causes of the conflict, is using stalling tactics and does not want a truce.

"Yesterday, we heard from Putin, he’s putting forward some conditions that clearly show he does not want any ceasefire. He needs war – this has always been obvious, and it is obvious now," Zelenskyy said.

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

He urged Ukraine’s allies to exert strong pressure on Moscow to prevent further delays. “Putin will try to drag everyone into endless discussions, just like he did with ‘Minsk,’ wasting days, weeks, and months on meaningless talks while his guns continue to kill people,” he said.

Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia for its mediation efforts and stressed that Ukraine is prepared to work on a structured peace plan once a ceasefire is in place.

“The US proposal is a chance to stop the war quickly. But it requires strong steps to ensure Russia complies,” he added.