‘Putin will not end this war on his own,’ Zelenskyy warns, as he urges Trump to use ‘strength of America’ to force Russia into ceasefire
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that “we must not let the war drag on,” as he urged the US to put pressure on Putin to “ensure that Russia is ready to end the war.”
He said that “pressure must be put on Russia” to force Putin into ending the conflict, repeating that Ukraine was “ready to act quickly and constructively.”
He contrasted Ukraine’s “immediate” agreement to the US proposal for a ceasefire with Putin’s evasive, non-committal answers, saying: “We do not want to play games with war.”
In a blistering attack on Putin, he criticised him for “lying about the real situation on the battlefield,” casualties, and the state of the Russian economy, which he said “has been damaged by his foolish imperial ambitions.”
“Putin cannot exit this war because that would leave him with nothing. That is why he is now doing everything he can to sabotage diplomacy by setting extremely difficult and unacceptable conditions right from the start, even before a ceasefire,” he warned.
Zelenskyy in particular said that Putin “will try to drag everyone into endless discussions … while his guns continue to kill people,” as he argued that “every condition Putin puts forward is just an attempt to block any diplomacy.”
“This is how Russia works. We warned about this,” he added.
Repeatedly appealing to US president Donald Trump and the US administration more broadly, he said that “especially the United States” can influence Putin and Russia to force through a ceasefire and, ultimately, a lasting peace.
“Putin will not end the war on his own. But the strength of America is enough to make it happen,” he said.
Here are his posts in full:
Today, Ukraine marks Military Volunteer Day. This day was established not so long ago, but it honors the bravery of those who have been defending Ukraine’s statehood and independence for a long time.
More than three years of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Over 11 years of a treacherous hybrid war that began with the occupation of Crimea and the battles in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Hundreds of thousands of our people have shown heroism in this war. Millions are working to defend our country. Thousands, unfortunately, have died on the front lines and from Russian bombs and missiles. The whole world knows Ukrainian bravery and is inspired by how our people defend their homes.
But we wouldn’t wish such years and decades of war on any nation. In Ukraine, we want peace. From the very first minutes of this war, we have wanted only one thing – for Russia to leave our people in peace and for Russian occupiers to get off our land. This is a natural desire for any nation – the desire for independence and security.
This is exactly what we are fighting for. We fight with weapons and diplomacy. Right now, we have a good chance to end this war quickly and secure peace. We have solid security understandings with our European partners.
There was a productive meeting with our American partners in Saudi Arabia. We are now close to the first step in ending any war – silence. We proposed starting with silence in the air and at sea. The American side suggested going further – an immediate and unconditional ceasefire on the ground.
When our team in Jeddah heard this proposal, they contacted me, and I immediately agreed. We do not want to play games with war. Every day of war means losing the lives of our people – the most valuable thing we have.
Of course, we think about security guarantees. Of course, we think about how to control the ceasefire. But the first step is necessary. We support our American partners and President Trump in this. We want to trust America and its President. Ukraine is ready to act quickly and constructively. And we have warned that the only side that will try to sabotage everything will not be us.
Yesterday, we heard from Putin, he’s putting forward some conditions that clearly show he does not want any ceasefire. He needs war – this has always been obvious, and it is obvious now.
Putin is lying about the real situation on the battlefield, he is lying about the casualties, he is lying about the true state of his economy, which has been damaged by his foolish imperial ambitions, and he is doing everything possible to ensure that diplomacy fails.
Putin cannot exit this war because that would leave him with nothing. That is why he is now doing everything he can to sabotage diplomacy by setting extremely difficult and unacceptable conditions right from the starteven before a ceasefire.
Putin will try to drag everyone into endless discussions, just like he did with ‘Minsk’ wasting days, weeks, and months on meaningless talks while his guns continue to kill people. Every condition Putin puts forward is just an attempt to block any diplomacy. This is how Russia works. And we warned about this.
But we need peace. Real peace. And we must not let the war drag on. We have had constructive discussions with the Americans. We will continue working with Europeans and other partners. I’m grateful to Saudi Arabia and everyone helping with mediation and negotiation platforms.
But I strongly urge everyone who can influence Russia, especially the United States, to take strong steps that can help. Pressure must be applied to the one who does not want to stop the war. Pressure must be put on Russia. Only decisive actions can end this war, which has already lasted for years.
The U.S. side proposed starting with an unconditional ceasefire. Then, during the period of silence, we could prepare a reliable peace plan, put it on the table, discuss the details, and implement it. We are ready.
And we believe it is our partners’ responsibility to ensure that Russia is ready to end the war – not to look for reasons why it should continue for more weeks, months, or years, but to end it. Putin will not end the war on his own. But the strength of America is enough to make it happen.
Strong steps are needed. Strong pressure must be applied to the only one who wants to continue this war. This is what ‘peace through strength’ means.
Thank you to everyone helping to bring peace closer – the United States, Europe, and the whole world. Thank you to all partners whose strength and diplomacy will eventually succeed.
Key events
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The day so far
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‘Negotiations … involve both sides making concessions,’ Rubio says
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‘Irrelevant’ if I can trust Putin, Rubio says
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Rubio ‘cautiously optimistic’ about US-Russia talks
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Russia committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine, UN investigation says
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‘Putin will not end this war on his own,’ Zelenskyy warns, as he urges Trump to use ‘strength of America’ to force Russia into ceasefire
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German constitutional court clears path for Merz’s spending, debt reform plans
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Ukraine denies claims of troops encircled in Kursk
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White House clarifies Witkoff, not Trump, spoke to Putin
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Trump’s claim about Ukrainian troops encircled in Kursk ‘not accurate,’ analysts say
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Ukraine’s Zelenskyy blames Putin for ‘complicating’ talks to obstruct peace process
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Trump hails ‘very good and productive’ discussions with Putin
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Germany preparing to release €3bn in aid for Ukraine
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German parties reach agreement on spending, debt reform plans
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G7 warn Russia of further sanctions if no ceasefire agreed
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Germany potentially close to breakthrough on debt break
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EU’s defence plans take shape – analysis
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Kremlin repeats Waltz’s line on ‘cautious optimism’ on ceasefire
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Greenland ‘not open to annexation,’ Danish foreign minister responds to Trump
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Portugal’s snap election date set for 18 May
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EU sanctions against Russia renewed with minor changes after Hungary hold-up
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EU countries agree to renew Russia sanctions
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‘Enough is enough,’ as Greenland and Denmark react to Trump’s comments
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Morning opening: Decoding Vladimir Putin
This liveblog is closing now but you can continue to follow our coverage of the war in Ukraine here. Thank you for reading.
The day so far
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that “we must not let the war drag on,” as he urged the US to put pressure on Putin to “ensure that Russia is ready to end the war.” He said that “pressure must be put on Russia” to force Putin into ending the conflict, repeating that Ukraine was “ready to act quickly and constructively.”
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US state secretary Marco Rubio is the latest senior politician involved in the US-Russia talks to repeat the line that there are “reasons to be cautiously optimistic” on ceasefire talks in Ukraine. Rubio described the talks by special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow as “a very positive and productive engagement yesterday with a President Putin.”
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Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia will guarantee the safety of Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region if they surrender. Speaking to the Russian Security Council, Putin emphasised that Ukrainian authorities need to instruct their troops to lay down their arms, Reuters reported.
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French president Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that Russia must accept a proposed 30-day ceasefire deal put forward by the United States and Ukraine. Macron added he had discussed the situation on Friday with British prime minister Keir Starmer and Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has blamed Vladimir Putin’s Russia for obstructing peace discussions over the ceasefire. In a long post on his conversation with the Vatican’s secretary of state Pietro Parolin, Zelenskyy said that “the world sees how Russia is deliberately putting forward conditions that only complicate and delay everything.”
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Sources in Ukraine and military analysts closely tracking the conflict say Donald Trump’s claims of a mass encirclement of Ukrainian troops inside Russia’s Kursk region are not accurate. Trump claimed on Friday, apparently based on information fed by Putin, that “at this very moment, thousands of Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded by the Russian military” and that he has asked Putin to spare their lives to avoid what he described as “a horrible massacre, one not seen since the second world war”.
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The White House has clarified that it was US envoy Steve Witkoff who spoke with Russian president Vladimir Putin, and not US president Donald Trump. The confusion was caused by Trump’s social media post earlier, in which he praised the discussions with the Russian leader, and said “I have strongly requested to President Putin,” making it sound as if he spoke with Putin personally.
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The EU executive could play a role in joint purchase of missiles, drones and other military equipment, according to a draft document on the future of European defence. The European Commission could “act as a central purchasing body” on behalf of EU member states upon their request, states a leaked white paper. The document, due to be released next Wednesday ahead of a summit of EU leaders, reveals how rapidly the EU is evolving following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
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Senior EU diplomats have agreed on Friday morning to extend for six months sanctions against about 2,000 Russians, including Vladimir Putin and many senior politicians and business people. The sanctions, which have to be renewed unanimously every six months, remain in place until 15 September 2025.
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The three German parties involved in discussions on creating a new €500bn euros fund boosting public spending and relaxing the constitutional debt break have agreed on the final shape of the proposal, presumed chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed. The conservative CDU/CSU party, which won last month’s parliamentary elections, have agreed with the social democratic SPD, it’s likely next coalition partner, and the Greens, moving back to the opposition, on the structure of the proposal.
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Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen rejected US president Donald Trump’s latest remarks about annexing Greenland, saying the Danish autonomous island could not be taken over by another country, AFP reported. “If you look at the Nato treaty, the UN charter or international law, Greenland is not open to annexation,” he told reporters.
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Portuguese president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has announced a snap election for 18 May, the third in three years, after the fall of Luis Montenegro’s government. The president said he wanted to move quickly to avoid prolonged instability, adding in a televised address that 18 May was “the preferred date for the majority of parties”.
French president Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that Russia must accept a proposed 30-day ceasefire deal put forward by the United States and Ukraine.
Macron added he had discussed the situation on Friday with British prime minister Keir Starmer and Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia will guarantee the safety of Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region if they surrender.
Speaking to the Russian Security Council, Putin emphasised that Ukrainian authorities need to instruct their troops to lay down their arms, Reuters reported.
US president Donald Trump urged Putin on Friday to spare Ukrainian troops being pushed back out of Russia’s Kursk region and said there was a “very good chance” the war could end.
Jakub Krupa
That’s all from Rubio, speaking from the G7 ministerial summit in Canada.
And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, as I hand over to Tom Ambrose, who will guide you through the evening.
Rubio got asked on details on the concessions he would expect from Ukraine and Russia, and his definition of territorial integrity in this context.
He started by saying that Russia will, too, have to make concessions.
But then returned to his earlier point that it is too early to speculate, as the first step is to get both sides to join negotiations.
I’m just stating the obvious.
When people sit down and negotiate and end the wars, there’s usually a give and take.
What that give and take is depends on the parties that are at the table.
We’re not going to predetermine anything, but that’s what’s going to take to end the war.
‘Negotiations … involve both sides making concessions,’ Rubio says
Rubio was also asked about the G7’s statement declaring support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Rubio said that is “not a change in public policy” for the US, as “I have never heard president Trump say Russia has a right to take all of Ukraine and do whatever they want there.”
But he then stressed that both sides will have to make concessions in the course of negotiations.
There is a war going on that has no military solution to it.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine can achieve its maximalist military aims.
The only way to end this war is through a process of negotiations, and negotiations – be it in business, in commerce, or in geopolitics – involve both sides giving something, both sides making concessions.
…
What those concessions are remains to be seen.
That’ll have to be part of the negotiation, but it’s not going to be, it’s not going to be helpful to enter into those negotiations making blanket statements that may give an excuse for one side or the other not to participate in it.
Rubio also asked reporters to clearly differentiate between a ceasefire and a final peace deal.
He said that in ultimate peace talks there will have to be discussions about Ukraine’s security guarantees as he acknowledged that “every country in the world has a right to security, to defend itself, to protect its territory.”
This will have to involve not just the US, but also the EU, which “imposed significant sanctions” on Russia.
But he warned against “putting everything ahead of itself,” as the first stage is to temporarily stop hostilities to create space for negotiations.
Rubio then was challenged by reporters, saying that Putin appeared to add new conditions to the US proposal.
He repeated there were “reasons for cautious optimism,” but added “there is a lot of work,” as he “never told anybody that this is going to be easy, fast, simple, slam dunk.”
“We are in a better place today … I believe, … than we were a week ago, but we still have a long way to go. It could come together pretty quickly if everyone aligns, but I don’t know how aligned we are yet. That’s what we’re going about to find out,” he said.
He was asked about suggestions that Putin was deploying “delay tactics,” saying:
I’m not going to answer that, because I can’t characterise that for you … right now.
I think we’ll know sooner rather than later, and a lot of that will be based on the conversation Ambassador Witkoff had yesterday and other factors that are in play.
But we are not there yet.
Rubio was also pushed on the details of Witkoff’s conversations with Putin and the Russian president’s public comments on the proposal.
But he batted it away saying “that’s going to play out in press conferences.”
This is going to play out the way things of this nature and calibre have traditionally and normally play out, and that is with the leaders of individual of the countries involved speaking, not in front of the cameras, not in front of the media, but in these negotiations that happen, in these talks that happen.
So I don’t want to, I’m not going to comment on what President Putin said, other than he said he agreed with it in concept.
‘Irrelevant’ if I can trust Putin, Rubio says
Rubio was also asked about whether he trusted Putin.
He said it was “an irrelevant question,” as “it is not about trusting, it’s about action – about things you do.”
“You can’t just say you want peace. You have to do peace, and that’s true for both sides in any conflict, so in any war and in any engagement,” he said.
Rubio told reporters that foreign policy worked in a different way to domestic politics as you often have to work with people you don’t like, but equally have disagreements with people you do like.
“Sometimes you will have to figure out how to work together with nations that are not aligned with you on most issues, and in some other cases, you may find yourself unaligned on an issue with the nation that you work with very closely on a bunch of other things,” he explained.
Rubio ‘cautiously optimistic’ about US-Russia talks
US state secretary Marco Rubio is the latest senior politician involved in the US-Russia talks to repeat the line that there are “reasons to be cautiously optimistic” on ceasefire talks in Ukraine.
Rubio described the talks by special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow as “a very positive and productive engagement yesterday with a President Putin.”
“We’ll examine the Russian position more closely and the president will then determine what the next steps are. Suffice it to say, I think there is reason to be cautiously optimistic,” he said.
Rubio added that “we continue to recognise this is a difficult and complex situation,” and he stressed “it will not be easy, it will not be simple, but we certainly feel like we’re at least some steps closer to ending this war and bringing peace.”
“Obviously, we will see what Russia and others are willing to do. It’s not just Russia, obviously, it has to be acceptable to Ukraine,” he says.
“We’ll know more once special envoy Witkoff returns and we have a chance to all convene and talk about it and obviously the president is the ultimate decider on next steps,” he said.
Russia committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine, UN investigation says
Separately, a United Nations investigation concluded that Russia has committed the crimes against humanity of enforced disappearances and torture in its war in Ukraine, AFP reported.
The crimes were perpetrated as part of a systematic, widespread attack against civilians, the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said in a new report to be formally presented next Tuesday.
The Russian authorities “committed additional violations and crimes during these prolonged detentions. Many victims have been missing for months and years, and some died in captivity,” it said.
The UN Human Rights Council established its highest level of inquiry in March 2022 to probe violations and abuses committed during the conflict.
‘Putin will not end this war on his own,’ Zelenskyy warns, as he urges Trump to use ‘strength of America’ to force Russia into ceasefire
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that “we must not let the war drag on,” as he urged the US to put pressure on Putin to “ensure that Russia is ready to end the war.”
He said that “pressure must be put on Russia” to force Putin into ending the conflict, repeating that Ukraine was “ready to act quickly and constructively.”
He contrasted Ukraine’s “immediate” agreement to the US proposal for a ceasefire with Putin’s evasive, non-committal answers, saying: “We do not want to play games with war.”
In a blistering attack on Putin, he criticised him for “lying about the real situation on the battlefield,” casualties, and the state of the Russian economy, which he said “has been damaged by his foolish imperial ambitions.”
“Putin cannot exit this war because that would leave him with nothing. That is why he is now doing everything he can to sabotage diplomacy by setting extremely difficult and unacceptable conditions right from the start, even before a ceasefire,” he warned.
Zelenskyy in particular said that Putin “will try to drag everyone into endless discussions … while his guns continue to kill people,” as he argued that “every condition Putin puts forward is just an attempt to block any diplomacy.”
“This is how Russia works. We warned about this,” he added.
Repeatedly appealing to US president Donald Trump and the US administration more broadly, he said that “especially the United States” can influence Putin and Russia to force through a ceasefire and, ultimately, a lasting peace.
“Putin will not end the war on his own. But the strength of America is enough to make it happen,” he said.
Here are his posts in full:
Today, Ukraine marks Military Volunteer Day. This day was established not so long ago, but it honors the bravery of those who have been defending Ukraine’s statehood and independence for a long time.
More than three years of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Over 11 years of a treacherous hybrid war that began with the occupation of Crimea and the battles in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Hundreds of thousands of our people have shown heroism in this war. Millions are working to defend our country. Thousands, unfortunately, have died on the front lines and from Russian bombs and missiles. The whole world knows Ukrainian bravery and is inspired by how our people defend their homes.
But we wouldn’t wish such years and decades of war on any nation. In Ukraine, we want peace. From the very first minutes of this war, we have wanted only one thing – for Russia to leave our people in peace and for Russian occupiers to get off our land. This is a natural desire for any nation – the desire for independence and security.
This is exactly what we are fighting for. We fight with weapons and diplomacy. Right now, we have a good chance to end this war quickly and secure peace. We have solid security understandings with our European partners.
There was a productive meeting with our American partners in Saudi Arabia. We are now close to the first step in ending any war – silence. We proposed starting with silence in the air and at sea. The American side suggested going further – an immediate and unconditional ceasefire on the ground.
When our team in Jeddah heard this proposal, they contacted me, and I immediately agreed. We do not want to play games with war. Every day of war means losing the lives of our people – the most valuable thing we have.
Of course, we think about security guarantees. Of course, we think about how to control the ceasefire. But the first step is necessary. We support our American partners and President Trump in this. We want to trust America and its President. Ukraine is ready to act quickly and constructively. And we have warned that the only side that will try to sabotage everything will not be us.
Yesterday, we heard from Putin, he’s putting forward some conditions that clearly show he does not want any ceasefire. He needs war – this has always been obvious, and it is obvious now.
Putin is lying about the real situation on the battlefield, he is lying about the casualties, he is lying about the true state of his economy, which has been damaged by his foolish imperial ambitions, and he is doing everything possible to ensure that diplomacy fails.
Putin cannot exit this war because that would leave him with nothing. That is why he is now doing everything he can to sabotage diplomacy by setting extremely difficult and unacceptable conditions right from the starteven before a ceasefire.
Putin will try to drag everyone into endless discussions, just like he did with ‘Minsk’ wasting days, weeks, and months on meaningless talks while his guns continue to kill people. Every condition Putin puts forward is just an attempt to block any diplomacy. This is how Russia works. And we warned about this.
But we need peace. Real peace. And we must not let the war drag on. We have had constructive discussions with the Americans. We will continue working with Europeans and other partners. I’m grateful to Saudi Arabia and everyone helping with mediation and negotiation platforms.
But I strongly urge everyone who can influence Russia, especially the United States, to take strong steps that can help. Pressure must be applied to the one who does not want to stop the war. Pressure must be put on Russia. Only decisive actions can end this war, which has already lasted for years.
The U.S. side proposed starting with an unconditional ceasefire. Then, during the period of silence, we could prepare a reliable peace plan, put it on the table, discuss the details, and implement it. We are ready.
And we believe it is our partners’ responsibility to ensure that Russia is ready to end the war – not to look for reasons why it should continue for more weeks, months, or years, but to end it. Putin will not end the war on his own. But the strength of America is enough to make it happen.
Strong steps are needed. Strong pressure must be applied to the only one who wants to continue this war. This is what ‘peace through strength’ means.
Thank you to everyone helping to bring peace closer – the United States, Europe, and the whole world. Thank you to all partners whose strength and diplomacy will eventually succeed.
German constitutional court clears path for Merz’s spending, debt reform plans
Over in Germany, I reported earlier about the breakthrough in political discussions about the proposed spending boost and changes to the constitutional debt break.
This Friday is only getting better for presumed next chancellor Friedrich Merz as Germany’s constitutional court threw out several challenges by opposition parties against the plan.
Here is the decision in full (in German).
The decision paves the way for parliament to convene on Tuesday to further consider and approve the proposals to reform constitutional debt rules and set up a €500bn infrastructure fund.
Earlier today, Merz’s CDU/CSU and the Social Democrats have secured the support of the Greens to approve the plans in the old Bundestag.
