US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, DC, Feb. 28, 2025.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Photos
Sidelined from forthcoming talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump to barter an finish to the warfare, Ukraine has warned the world that Moscow is to not be trusted and is planning new offensives.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated intelligence and army officers had briefed him on Monday “on what Putin is relying on and what he’s truly getting ready for,” saying “this contains army preparations.”
“He’s definitely not getting ready to stop fireplace or finish the warfare,” Zelenskyy stated in his nightly deal with.
“There may be not a single signal that the Russians have been informed to organize for a post-war state of affairs – not but. Quite the opposite, they’re transferring their troops and forces in ways in which point out they plan to launch new offensive operations. Nobody getting ready for peace acts this fashion,” he added.
“Putin’s sole purpose is to current a gathering with America as his private victory after which proceed appearing as earlier than, placing strain on Ukraine as earlier than,” the president warned. CNBC has contacted the Kremlin for a response to Zelenskyy’s claims and is awaiting a response.
The issue for Ukraine is whether or not anybody is listening.
Neither Zelenskyy nor European officers are invited to the Trump-Putin talks in Alaska on Friday, a lot to their consternation.
Ukraine has vehemently said that no deal about its future could be struck in its absence, amid fears that it might be pressured to cede Russian-occupied territory to Moscow as a part of a peace deal. European leaders, in the meantime, are pushing strongly for Ukraine’s involvement within the talks. The U.S., for its half, has stated it’s contemplating inviting Zelenskyy, NBC Information reported.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz invited Trump to affix Zelenskyy and European leaders after they maintain an emergency name on Tuesday afternoon in anticipation of Friday’s talks. The digital summit will reportedly concentrate on methods to strain Russia, the destiny of Ukrainian territories seized by Russia and attainable safety ensures for Kyiv.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s overseas coverage chief, informed CNBC Tuesday that Putin was “simply pretending to barter” and was making an attempt to avoid Trump’s risk of additional sanctions if a ceasefire isn’t agreed.
“To be able to have any deal carried out, you want Europe and also you want Ukraine. So it’s clear that Putin is simply pretending to barter. In any other case it might have Ukraine round that desk. He simply needs to postpone the sanctions, and that is why he is enjoying this recreation,” Kallas informed CNBC’s “Squawk Field Europe.”
Claiming that Putin “simply needs to have an image with President Trump,” Kallas stated Russia had proven little urge for food for peace.
“It’s clear that Putin simply needs some concessions, and so they have not finished any concessions on their aspect earlier than [talking about ceding] territories, we must always speak about ceasefire … Ukraine agreed to an unconditional ceasefire already 5 months in the past, and since then, Putin and the Kremlin have simply been enjoying video games. So we must always actually put the strain on Russia,” she stated.
‘Really feel-out’ assembly
Trump steered on Monday that there might “some swapping” of territory as a part of a peace deal although he insisted the U.S. “would attempt to get a few of that territory again for Ukraine.”
“There will be some swapping, there will be some modifications in land,” Trump informed reporters on the White Home, though he downplayed any expectations of what might come of the talks, describing them as a “feel-out assembly.”
“We’ll see what he has in thoughts and if it is a truthful deal, I will reveal it to the European Union leaders and to NATO leaders and in addition to President Zelensky,” Trump stated.
Geopolitical analysts agree that the talks are unlikely to yield a complete and long-lasting answer to the more-than-three yr battle between Russia and Ukraine, given the complexity of the warfare, its underlying causes and the variety of stakeholders concerned.
As an alternative, the talks “needs to be seen because the Trump administration’s try and assess whether or not there’s area for a mutually acceptable compromise — at the least on choose points,” Andrius Tursa, Central and Jap Europe advisor in danger consultancy Teneo, stated in emailed feedback Monday.
“Even in a best-case state of affairs, any high-level settlement would require a number of rounds of inauspicious follow-up talks to resolve implementation points. This might be an alternative choice for Moscow to attract out the talks, hoping to capitalize on its step by step growing benefit on the frontlines,” he famous.
The Kremlin could search to take advantage of rising exhaustion in Ukraine by proposing a brief or partial de-escalation within the warfare, Tursa stated.
“Such a transfer would supply the Trump administration a symbolic diplomatic success whereas inserting strain on Kyiv to make substantial concessions. Ought to Ukraine fail to reply in a manner deemed acceptable by Moscow, the Kremlin would seemingly painting Kyiv as the primary impediment to peace and rely on Washington to extend strain on Zelenskyy.”
Tursa stated this latter state of affairs underscores the dangers inherent in any potential Trump-Putin settlement that is reached with out the direct involvement of Ukraine and its European allies.
“Regardless of Ukraine’s reliance on U.S. assist, neither Zelensky nor Ukraine’s parliament might be anticipated to endorse an settlement perceived as unfavorable and missing public backing. Zelensky’s administration has already publicly rejected the concept of territorial concessions floated forward of the summit, clearly signaling Kyiv’s crimson strains.”