Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffirmed his strong refusal to cede any territory, resisting U.S. pressure for painful concessions to Russia as he moved ahead Tuesday to rally more European support for his country.
“Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to present up territories. We, clearly, don’t want to present up anything. That’s what we’re fighting for,” Zelenskyy told reporters in a WhatsApp chat late Monday.
“Will we consider ceding any territories? In line with the law we don’t have such right,” he said. “In line with Ukraine’s law, our structure, international law, and to be frank, we don’t have an ethical right either.”
In an interview with Politico released Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump pressed Zelenskyy to simply accept the U.S. proposal that Ukraine cede territory to Russia, arguing Moscow has the “upper hand” in its nearly 4-year-old invasion, and that Zelenskyy’s government must “play ball.”
Zelenskyy met in Rome with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, discussing the progress of the peace process, her office said. They emphasized the importance of U.S. and European unity and of solutions “that can have repercussions on the continent’s security,” the statement said.
Additionally they discussed “developing robust security guarantees to stop future aggression and maintaining pressure on Russia to hitch the negotiating table in good faith,” it said.
Earlier, Zelenskyy met with Pope Leo XIV at Castel Gandolfo, a papal residence outside Rome. The Vatican said Leo reiterated the necessity for continuing dialogue and “expressed his urgent desire that the present diplomatic initiatives bring a few just and lasting peace.”
The Holy See has tried to remain neutral within the war while offering solidarity and assistance to what it calls the “martyred” people of Ukraine. Leo has met thrice with Zelenskyy and has spoken by telephone not less than once with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling for a ceasefire and urging Moscow to make gestures promoting peace.
Chatting with reporters after meeting with Zelenskyy, Leo insisted that Europe’s role was crucial to any deal.
“Looking for a peace agreement without including Europe within the talks is unrealistic, given the war is in Europe,” he said.
“Guarantees are also being hunted for security today and in the long run. Europe should be a part of this, and unfortunately not everyone understands this, but I feel there may be an amazing opportunity for European leaders to unite and seek an answer together.”
On Monday, Zelenskyy held talks in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to strengthen Ukraine’s hand amid mounting impatience from Trump.
Ukraine faces US pressure
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators accomplished three days of talks Saturday geared toward attempting to narrow differences on the Trump administration’s peace proposal.
A serious sticking point is the suggestion that Kyiv must hand over control of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine to Russia, which illegally occupies most but not all the territory. Ukraine and its European allies firmly resist the thought of handing over land.
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“You already know, quite a lot of persons are dying,” Trump told Politico, claiming that other Ukrainian officials that he identified only as Zelenskyy’s “lieutenants, his top people” agree with the U.S. administration.
Aside from Zelenskyy’s comments Monday, Ukrainian negotiators have said little in public in regards to the content of the U.S. proposal or their attitude toward it.
Chatting with reporters again Tuesday on WhatsApp, Zelenskyy said three documents were being discussed with American and European partners — a 20-point framework document that’s continuously changing, a document on security guarantees and a document about Ukraine’s recovery.
Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukraine’s updated version of the proposal could be given to the U.S. on Wednesday.
Russia, Trump said, is just too powerful for Ukraine to proceed fighting.
“I give the people of Ukraine and the military of Ukraine tremendous credit for the, you recognize, bravery and for the fighting and all of that,” he said. “But you recognize, sooner or later, size will win, generally.”
Trump also repeated his call for Ukraine to carry a presidential election regardless that martial law doesn’t allow it and Zelenskyy, elected in 2019, had his five-year term prolonged due to war.
Trump’s position on Ukraine’s failure to carry an election mirrors frequent statements on the topic by Putin.
Responding to Trump’s remarks, Zelenskyy asked for help from the U.S. and possibly Europe “to make sure security for the elections, after which Ukraine shall be able to hold elections in the following 60-90 days.”
Putin, speaking Tuesday with pro-Kremlin activists, reaffirmed his claim that the Donbas is Russia’s “historic territory” and vowed to meet his war goals. “We will definitely take it to the logical conclusion,” he said.
European leaders repeat support for Kyiv
Starmer, Macron and Merz strongly backed Kyiv, with the U.K. leader saying Monday that the push for peace was at a “critical stage” and stressing the necessity for “a just and lasting ceasefire.”
Merz, meanwhile, said he was “skeptical” about some details in documents released by the U.S. “We’ve got to discuss it. That’s why we’re here,” he said. “The approaching days … could possibly be a decisive time for all of us.”
European leaders are working to make sure that any ceasefire is backed by solid security guarantees each from Europe and the U.S. to discourage Russia from attacking again. Trump has not given explicit guarantees in public.
Zelenskyy and his European allies have repeatedly accused Putin of slow-walking the talks to press ahead with the invasion.
Either side exchange aerial strikes
Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 110 drones across the country overnight. While air defenses neutralized 84 drones, 24 more struck their targets.
Several regions of Ukraine faced emergency blackouts Tuesday resulting from Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, in line with Ukraine’s national energy operator, Ukrenergo.
U.N. deputy humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya said Tuesday only 65% of the $278 million required to fund a winter response plan in Ukraine has been received, forcing cuts to services like money assistance, heating support, mental health care and protection for ladies and girls.
This implies families are facing freezing temperatures without heating, women and girls are losing access to “secure spaces” and older people in front-line areas are left without the means to evacuate, she told the U.N. Security Council.
The U.K. Defense Ministry said a member of the British military died Tuesday of his injuries from an accident while observing Ukrainian troops test a defensive system away from the front lines — the primary U.K. servicemember to die in Ukraine within the war. It was not immediately clear what role he was serving or where the accident occurred.
The U.K. military has said a small of variety of personnel are in Ukraine to guard British diplomats and support Ukrainian troops.
Ukraine also continued its drone attacks on Russia.
Russia said it destroyed 121 drones in various regions and within the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. In Chuvashia, a region about 900 kilometers (about 560 miles) northeast of the Ukrainian border, an attack damaged residential buildings and injured nine people, Gov. Oleg Nikolayev said.
Ukraine’s Security Service carried out a drone attack on a liquefied gas terminal on the port of Temryuk in Russia’s Krasnodar region on Dec. 5, in line with an official with knowledge of the operation who spoke to The Associated Press.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the strike sparked a hearth at the ability, with greater than 20 storage tanks set ablaze for over three days.
Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Brian Melley in London and Edith M. Lederer on the United Nations contributed to this report.