In Rome, Zelensky urged Trump not to withdraw from the peace process – The Economist

During a short meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Rome, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged him not to withdraw from the peace process.

This was reported by The Economist, citing Ukrainian sources.

According to the publication, Zelensky assured Trump of Ukraine’s readiness for an unconditional ceasefire.

“Zelensky used his 15 minutes to deliver a simple message: Ukraine is ready for an unconditional ceasefire, Russia is not, and Trump should not walk away from a peace deal that only he can deliver. A social media post by the American president after the meeting suggests he received the message. His unusually sharp criticism of Putin — accusing him of stringing him along — was his strongest to date,” the article states.

The Economist’s sources also mentioned a “new momentum” in negotiations and said that “for the first time, Ukrainian negotiators are cautiously optimistic.”

A Western official expressed hope that a ceasefire agreement could be reached as soon as this week.

“We’re trying to improve our position. But there’s bluffing on all sides. And there’s a danger someone is overplaying their hand,” said a senior Ukrainian official.

The article also notes that talks in London last week “brought Ukrainian and Western technical negotiators closer than ever before.”