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 Pictures
Sidelined from forthcoming talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump to barter an finish to the battle, Ukraine has warned the world that Moscow is to not be trusted and is planning new offensives.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned intelligence and army officers had briefed him on Monday “on what Putin is relying on and what he’s really making ready for,” saying “this contains army preparations.”
“He’s actually not making ready to stop fireplace or finish the battle,” Zelenskyy mentioned in his nightly handle.
“There’s not a single signal that the Russians have been informed to arrange for a post-war scenario – not but. Quite the opposite, they’re shifting their troops and forces in ways in which point out they plan to launch new offensive operations. Nobody making ready for peace acts this manner,” he added.
“Putin’s sole intention is to current a gathering with America as his private victory after which proceed performing 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 acknowledged that no deal about its future could be struck in its absence, amid fears that it could possibly 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 mentioned it’s contemplating inviting Zelenskyy, NBC Information reported.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz invited Trump to affix Zelenskyy and European leaders once 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 doable safety ensures for Kyiv.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s international coverage chief, informed CNBC Tuesday that Putin was “simply pretending to barter” and was attempting to avoid Trump’s menace of additional sanctions if a ceasefire isn’t agreed.
“With a purpose 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 will have Ukraine round that desk. He simply desires to postpone the sanctions, and that is why he is enjoying this recreation,” Kallas informed CNBC’s “Squawk Field Europe.”
Claiming that Putin “simply desires to have an image with President Trump,” Kallas mentioned Russia had proven little urge for food for peace.
“It’s clear that Putin simply desires some concessions, they usually have not achieved any concessions on their facet earlier than [talking about ceding] territories, we should always discuss 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 should always actually put the strain on Russia,” she mentioned.
‘Really feel-out’ assembly
Trump instructed on Monday that there may “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 may come of the talks, describing them as a “feel-out assembly.”
“We will see what he has in thoughts and if it is a truthful deal, I am going to reveal it to the European Union leaders and to NATO leaders and likewise to President Zelensky,” Trump mentioned.
Geopolitical analysts agree that the talks are unlikely to yield a complete and long-lasting resolution to the more-than-three yr battle between Russia and Ukraine, given the complexity of the battle, its underlying causes and the variety of stakeholders concerned.
As a substitute, the talks “ought to be seen because the Trump administration’s try and assess whether or not there’s area for a mutually acceptable compromise — not less than on choose points,” Andrius Tursa, Central and Japanese Europe advisor in danger consultancy Teneo, mentioned 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 may be another choice for Moscow to attract out the talks, hoping to capitalize on its steadily growing benefit on the frontlines,” he famous.
The Kremlin could search to use rising exhaustion in Ukraine by proposing a short lived or partial de-escalation within the battle, Tursa mentioned.
“Such a transfer would provide 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 doubtless painting Kyiv as the principle impediment to peace and rely on Washington to extend strain on Zelenskyy.”
Tursa mentioned 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. help, neither Zelensky nor Ukraine’s parliament could possibly be anticipated to endorse an settlement perceived as unfavorable and missing public backing. Zelensky’s administration has already publicly rejected the thought of territorial concessions floated forward of the summit, clearly signaling Kyiv’s pink strains.”
