Russia’s Plea for Peace: Will Zelensky Yield

Russia today asked the West to launch direct talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that concessions for Russia to stop its aggression in Ukraine are “unacceptable.”

Former Republican US President Trump won re-election this week, raising questions about whether US aid to Ukraine will suddenly change and has increased pressure on its allies for more help to fight against Russia.

Trump once boasted that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in one day and has repeatedly criticized the US policy of aiding Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that Ukraine cede more territory in the east and south as a prerequisite for peace talks; Ukraine has repeatedly ruled out the possibility of giving up territory in exchange for peace. Ukraine and many Western countries worry that any settlement that benefits Putin will embolden him and lead to more aggression.

Speaking to European leaders at a summit in Hungary, Zelensky blasted those who had pressured him to give in to some of Putin’s tough demands.

“There was talk of the need to give in to Putin, to abandon him, to make some concessions,” Zelensky said.

He added: “This is unacceptable for Ukraine and unacceptable for the whole of Europe.”

Zelensky also dismissed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s call for “abandonment” on the battlefield as “dangerous” and “irresponsible”.

Orban, the EU leader with the closest ties to the Russian Kremlin, said earlier that a ceasefire would “give the warring parties space and time to communicate and start peace talks.”

Zelensky also accused some European leaders of pushing “forcefully” for a compromise in Ukraine, without naming them.

Zelensky said: “We need enough weapons, not just verbal support. Embracing Putin will not help. Some of you have been embracing him for 20 years, and the situation is only getting worse.”

However, Zelensky also revealed that he had discussed “military assistance” with French President Emmanuel Macron in the Hungarian capital, Budapest.

Russia said earlier that Ukraine’s allies must start talks with Russia if it hopes to stop attacks on Ukraine.

Sergei Shoigu, secretary general of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, said the West faced a choice between direct talks with Russia or continuing to allow the Ukrainian people to be “destroyed.”