Russia Rejects Ceasefire in Ukraine and Trump Plans a Tripartite Summit

In a new development regarding the Ukrainian crisis, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia's repeated rejection of ceasefire initiatives exacerbates the situation and complicates efforts to end the war that has been ongoing for more than three years.

Zelensky said in a social media post yesterday, Saturday:

"We see that Russia refuses numerous calls for a ceasefire, and has not yet specified when it will stop killing, which complicates the situation."

He added:

"If Russia lacks the will to take a simple step like stopping the strikes, it will be much harder to make it have the will to do something bigger, like peacefully coexist with its neighbors for decades."

In contrast, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his visit to the U.S. state of Alaska was "very beneficial and came at the right time," during a meeting with senior officials in the Kremlin.

Putin confirmed Russia's respect for the U.S. position on the conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing that Moscow seeks to end the war peacefully, according to what was reported by Reuters.

It is worth noting that U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had met at a military base in Alaska, in a meeting whose details were not fully disclosed, but it did not result in a clear agreement regarding a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Trump simply stated that the meeting was "great" and that both sides agreed on a number of "important" issues, but he later acknowledged that "a very important issue remained pending," without revealing its nature.

For his part, Trump ruled out an immediate ceasefire on Saturday, but confirmed that he is directly working towards achieving a "comprehensive peace agreement."

He also announced the reception of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House next Monday afternoon, in a move aimed at pushing the negotiations forward.

He pointed to the possibility of holding a tripartite summit soon, bringing him together with Presidents Putin and Zelensky, if the talks go in the right direction.

For their part, Ukraine's European allies welcomed Trump's efforts to bridge viewpoints, but emphasized their continued support for Kyiv.

They also confirmed their commitment to a policy of tightening sanctions on Russia, and called on the United States to provide strong security guarantees for Ukraine in any potential agreement.