LONDON — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continued refusal to just accept a ceasefire is “complicating” efforts to succeed in a peace deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Saturday, as he ready to journey to the White Home to fulfill with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Friday’s summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska — to which Ukrainian representatives weren’t invited — ended with Russia demanding that Ukraine cede the whole lot of its contested and fortified japanese Donetsk area in alternate for an finish to the preventing, two sources informed ABC Information.
Putin has repeatedly dodged Ukrainian-U.S. provides of an instantaneous ceasefire. Earlier than the summit, Trump informed reporters, “I wish to see a ceasefire quickly.”
Kyiv has beforehand rejected ceding any territory to Russia with out binding safety ensures that embody the U.S. Zelenskyy has additionally dominated out giving up Donetsk, saying the area may present a launchpad for future Russian offensives deeper into Ukraine. Kyiv maintains that no peace negotiations can participate till a ceasefire is in impact.
Ukrainian troops attend coaching for recruits in Kharkiv area, Ukraine, on Aug. 16, 2025.
Sofiia Gatilova/Reuters
On Saturday, Zelenskyy addressed the continuing talks in a submit to Telegram, saying, “We see that Russia rejects quite a few calls for for a ceasefire and nonetheless has not decided when it can cease the killings. This complicates the state of affairs.”
“In the event that they don’t have any will to implement a easy order to cease the strikes, it could take a variety of effort for Russia to develop the need to implement rather more, specifically peaceable life with neighbors for many years,” Zelenskyy added. “However all of us work collectively for peace and safety. Stopping the killings is a key ingredient of ending the battle.”
Zelenskyy will meet Trump on the White Home on Monday, with the U.S. president additionally inviting European leaders to attend.
European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary-Normal Mark Rutte and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed on Sunday that they are going to be among the many leaders accompanying Zelenskyy.
“The talks will deal with, amongst different issues, safety ensures, territorial points and continued help for Ukraine in its protection towards Russian aggression,” Merz’s workplace stated in an announcement. “This contains sustaining the strain of sanctions.”
The leaders of France, Germany and the U.Okay. have been additionally anticipated to co-chair a digital assembly of the pro-Ukraine “Coalition of the Keen” on Sunday, in line with a press launch from French President Emmanuel Macron’s workplace.
After the Alaska summit, Trump informed Fox Information he recommends that Kyiv “make the deal.”
“Look, Russia is a really huge energy, they usually’re not,” Trump stated, saying Ukraine had “nice troopers.” The president then praised Putin, calling him a “robust man” and saying he’s “powerful as hell.”
Zelenskyy stated Saturday he would proceed “coordination with companions” forward of the assembly. “It’s important that everybody agrees {that a} dialog on the leaders’ degree is important to make clear all the small print and decide which steps are wanted and can work,” he stated.
The Ukrainian president warned earlier on Saturday that Russian operations could develop as peace negotiations proceed. “The Russian military could try to accentuate strain and strikes towards Ukrainian positions in an effort to create extra favorable political circumstances for negotiations with world actors,” Zelenskyy posted to Telegram.
Ukraine’s air pressure stated that Russia launched 60 drones and one missile into the nation in a single day into Sunday, of which 40 drones have been shot down or suppressed. Twenty drones impacted throughout 12 places, the air pressure stated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pictured within the backyard of 10 Downing Avenue on August 14, 2025 in London, U.Okay.
Wpa Pool/Getty Pictures
Russia’s Protection Ministry, in the meantime, stated its forces shot down at the least 52 Ukrainian drones in a single day.
ABC Information’ Hannah Demissie, Patrick Reevell, Nataliia Popova, Anna Sergeeva, Fidel Pavlenko, Somayeh Malekian, Morgan Winsor, Tom Soufi Burridge and Mike Trew contributed to this report.
