Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the US can put more pressure on Russia to secure a ceasefire after the US threatened to pull out of talks if a deal is not struck soon.
“We believe that if more pressure is applied to Russia, we’ll be able to make our positions closer,” Zelensky told reporters on a visit to South Africa, adding he was “very hopeful”.
When asked if he would be willing to make any concessions, he said the fact that Ukraine is prepared to negotiate with Russia is a “huge compromise” and a “ceasefire must be the first step.”
Zelensky cut short his South Africa visit after eight people were killed and dozens injured in a Russian overnight attack on Kyiv.
Zelensky said the attack was “undoubtedly one of the most difficult and impudent”.
“If Russia says it is ready to cease fire, it must stop massive strikes against Ukraine. It is Ukrainians who are running out of patience, because it is us who are under attack, and no one else,” he added.
Zelensky’s comments came after US President Donald Trump on Wednesday had accused the Ukrainian leader of harming peace negotiations, after Zelensky said Kyiv would not recognise Russian control of Crimea.
Ukraine has long said it will not give up Crimea, a southern peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
Trump claimed a deal to end the war was “very close”, but that Zelensky’s refusal to accept US terms “will do nothing but prolong” the conflict.
Earlier, US Vice-President JD Vance laid out the US vision for a deal, saying it would “freeze the territorial lines […] close to where they are today”.
He said the deal would mean Ukraine and Russia “are both going to have to give up some of the territory they currently own” – without specifying what geographic concessions would have to be made.
When asked by reporters at the White House about whether the administration was looking to recognise Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea, Trump said he just wanted to see the war end.
Recognising Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea would not only be politically impossible for Zelensky to accept, it would also be contrary to post-war international legal norms that borders should not be changed by force.
Zelensky said a meeting about ending the conflict between Ukrainian, US, UK and European officials in London on Wednesday was “difficult but constructive, and it resulted not in differences but a desire to continue working nonetheless”.
The Ukrainian president had travelled on his first visit to South Africa, where he met President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa said during a news briefing alongside Zelensky that he was deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the continuing loss of civilian lives.
He added that he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, and the two men “agreed to work together on a peaceful resolution to the conflict”.
The South African president also said he had spoken to Trump to discuss the peace process in Ukraine and both leaders agreed that the war should end as soon as possible.
He added they would meet soon to discuss various aspects of US-South Africa relations.
Zelensky’s visit to South Africa marks a diplomatic breakthrough for the Ukrainian leader in his efforts to counter Russia’s growing influence in Africa.
The state visit would have been unimaginable just two years ago, when President Ramaphosa led a delegation of African leaders to Kyiv on a self-styled peace mission.
At the time, South Africa’s refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a source of frustration for Kyiv.
But the geopolitical landscape has fundamentally changed since that meeting, and both countries now have a lot more in common.
Both find themselves increasingly at odds with Washington.
The US was one of Ukraine’s closest allies until the re-election of Donald Trump in November. Now Ukraine is keen to broaden its pool of international partners – particularly in Africa where many countries have strong links with Russia.
South Africa has also suffered from strained relations with Washington, which has expelled its ambassador and removed aid funding.
South Africa says its non-aligned position puts it in a prime position to help bring about a peace deal with Russia.
