Trump calls Zelensky to stick to the terms as Putin is open to dialogue

Negotiations on Ukraine are set to enter a crucial week on Monday, as predicted by the United States, which is pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to give up Crimea in exchange for peace with Russia.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed these hopes, even as the fighting shows no signs of abating.

On Saturday night, Russia launched an attack using 150 drones and missiles, according to Zelensky, killing four people in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow, for its part, announced the complete “liberation” of the Kursk Oblast, a claim which Kyiv denied.

“We’re close to an agreement, but not close enough,” Rubio told NBC on Sunday, adding, “I think this week will be pivotal”.

Washington hasn’t revealed details of its peace plan, but it has proposed freezing the front line and Kiev ceding Crimea to Russia in exchange for an end to hostilities, something Kiev is unwilling to hear.

Contrary to Zelensky’s statements, Trump said on Sunday he believes the Ukrainian leader is ready to give up Crimea.

Asked by a reporter whether he believed Zelensky was ready to give up the peninsula, which Russia occupied in 2014, Trump replied on Sunday, “I think so”.

The US president has expressed doubts in recent days about Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war.

On Sunday, Trump urged his Russian counterpart to ceasefire and conclude an agreement on Ukraine, saying, “I want him to stop shooting. Sit down and sign the deal.” He added, “I think we have the foundations for a deal, and I want him to sign it”.

For his part, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Sunday that Ukraine must not cede all territory occupied by Russia as part of a peace agreement proposed by Trump.

In statements to German public broadcaster ARD, Pistorius said, “Ukraine has of course been aware for some time that a sustainable and reliable ceasefire or peace agreement may involve territorial concessions”.

He continued, “But these concessions will, of course, not reach the level reached by the US president’s latest proposal”.

On Saturday, Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov confirmed to Putin that the Kursk region had been completely liberated from Ukrainian forces.

The general particularly praised the heroism of North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia, in Moscow’s first acknowledgment of their involvement in the conflict.

For several weeks, Ukrainian forces have been retreating in this area of ​​the front, as the Russian army gradually advances.

Ukrainian forces initially occupied hundreds of square kilometers in the Kursk region in August 2024, when Ukrainian forces launched an unprecedented counteroffensive into Russian territory.

They seized control of a pumping station through which Russian gas was transported to Europe.

Ukrainian leaders justified this surprise attack on Russian territory by seeking to gain a new trump card in any potential peace talks.

Zelensky recently suggested that Russia agree to a land swap, a proposal rejected by Moscow, whose military continues to advance elsewhere on the front.

Since then, the Ukrainian-controlled enclave has shrunk.

However, Ukraine said on Sunday that its forces continue to fight there.

“Our military continues to conduct operations in the Kursk and Belgorod regions… We’re maintaining our presence on Russian territory,” Zelensky said in his evening address on Sunday.

He added, “The situation on the front lines and the current activities of the Russian military demonstrate that the current pressure on Russia to stop this war is insufficient”.

He called for increased pressure on Moscow to create real diplomatic opportunities.