Zelenskyy accuses Putin of trying to stall ceasefire talks, pushes Trump for tougher sanctions

As Russian and U.S. officials prepared to talk astir the 30-day ceasefire proposal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of looking to prolong the war.

"Putin is acrophobic to archer President Trump straight that helium wants to proceed this warfare and support sidesplitting Ukrainians," Zelenskyy wrote successful a station connected X. "That’s why, successful Moscow, they are surrounding the ceasefire thought with specified preconditions that it either fails oregon gets dragged retired for arsenic agelong arsenic possible."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Pool via REUTERS/Leah Millis/Alina Smutko)

TRUMP 'HOPES' PUTIN AGREES TO CEASEFIRE AS MOSCOW SIGNALS NO TRUCE YET

After Ukraine agreed to the U.S. ceasefire connection earlier this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio enactment the onus connected Russia and told reporters that the "ball is present successful [Russia’s] court."

"As we person ever said, the lone 1 stalling, the lone 1 being unconstructive, is Russia. They request this war. Putin has stolen years of bid and continues this warfare time aft day," Zelenskyy added. 

Now, Zelenskyy says tougher sanctions are indispensable to propulsion Putin towards making a woody and ending the bloody three-year war. While President Donald Trump told reporters helium wanted peace, not sanctions, helium acknowledged that the U.S. could marque fiscal moves that are "very atrocious for Russia."

"In a fiscal sense, yeah, we could bash things, precise atrocious for Russia. It would beryllium devastating for Russia," Trump told reporters successful the Oval Office connected Thursday portion gathering with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. "But I don’t privation to bash that due to the fact that I privation to spot peace."

U.S. President Donald Trump reacts arsenic helium meets NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz sitting adjacent to him, successful the Oval Office astatine the White House successful Washington, D.C., March 13, 2025. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

PUTIN THANKS TRUMP FOR PRINCIPLES OF CEASEFIRE PUSH, BUT DOES NOT SAY YES

On Thursday, Putin said helium agreed with the U.S. program for a 30-day ceasefire successful "principle," but signaled that Russia would not beryllium signing onto the statement successful its existent form. Ukraine agreed to the program pursuing talks with U.S. officials successful Saudi Arabia, arsenic agelong arsenic Russia commits to the plan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Rostelecom, Russia's largest telecommunications provider, president astatine the Kremlin successful Moscow connected June 7, 2023. (GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

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Trump said connected Thursday that if Russia does not travel to the array and hold to the ceasefire, "it’ll beryllium a precise disappointing infinitesimal for the world." The president vowed passim his run to extremity the Russia-Ukraine war, saying that if helium had remained successful bureau successful 2020 the war, which began with Russia’s 2021 penetration of Ukraine, would not person started.