Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is stalling a face-to-face meeting to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war in order to give Moscow more time to militarily undermine Kyiv.
President Donald Trump helped plant the seeds for a summit involving Zelensky and Putin during his own encounter with the Russian leader in Alaska earlier this month. While Zelensky was swift to agree to such a meeting, Putin has been slower to take the cue, with Moscow arguing that further preliminary discussions are needed to ensure leaders are “well-prepared” to carry out negotiations.
Over the weekend, Zelensky accused Russia of slow walking talks in order to buy more time to carry out fresh attacks on Ukraine after Moscow carried out sweeping aerial strikes overnight. Zelensky called for the U.S. and Europe to place tough sanctions on Putin as a retaliatory measure after Kyiv reported the Kremlin’s military launched 537 drones and decoys, along with 45 missiles at Ukraine overnight Saturday.
“It is absolutely clear that Moscow used the time meant for preparing a leaders-level meeting to organize new massive attacks,” Zelensky said in a statement on X. “The only way to reopen a window of opportunity for diplomacy is through tough measures against all those bankrolling the Russian army and effective sanctions against Moscow itself – banking and energy sanctions.”
“This war won’t stop with political statements alone; real steps are needed. We expect action from the U.S., Europe, and the entire world,” he added.
One resident was killed in Russia’s drone and missile attacks on southern and central regions in Ukraine, according to local officials.
Ukraine likewise launched strikes on Russia, saying it struck the country’s oil refineries in Syzran and Krasnodar, the latter of which has been confirmed by Russian officials. Moscow also said the Kremlin’s defense systems downed 20 Ukrainian drones, most of them in Crimea.
As the war hits the 3.5-year mark, casualties are likely hovering around one million in Russia alone.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 due partly to Putin’s belief that at least several Ukrainian territories should be under Moscow’s control, including Donetsk and Luhansk, which are both majority Russian-speaking areas in the Donbas region where Moscow-backed separatists rule.
Putin has reportedly told Trump he would be willing to end the war if Ukraine handed over the areas of the Donetsk region it still controls. However, Zelensky, while repeatedly expressing a willingness to a ceasefire or a broader peace deal, says an agreement cannot contain any territorial concessions.
Trump, who has been largely out of the public eye ahead of Labor Day, has pressed both sides to come together on a peace deal. He has said “land swaps” would likely be a part of any final peace deal, although clarifying Ukraine, not the U.S., must make any final decision on boundary disputes.
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Washington is acting as a bridge between the two countries, with special envoy Steve Witkoff, who met with Zelensky’s chief of staff in New York this week, recently saying the U.S. is in touch with Russian partners daily.
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said following the Friday meeting with Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that peace initiatives put forward by the U.S. are “unfortunately” being “stalled” by Russia.