Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga has asserted that increased Western pressure on Russia could end the conflict this year, claiming “Ukrainian resilience is not the reason for endless war. We want to end this war this year.” Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland on Monday, Sibiga urged Ukraine’s foreign allies to make continued hostilities “dangerous personally” for Russian President Vladimir Putin, advocating for additional economic sanctions under U.S. leadership. He reiterated Kyiv’s demand that Putin engage directly with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy, insisting the meeting’s outcome must include a ceasefire.
Moscow has stated it is open to talks with Zelenskiy if preparations ensure tangible results but rejected a simple ceasefire, arguing it would enable Ukraine to regroup and restart fighting. Russian officials emphasized their preference for diplomatic solutions to achieve security goals. Sibiga cited “positive signals” from U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently met Zelenskiy in New York. Unlike past statements, Trump suggested European funding could help Ukraine’s military achieve territorial objectives. Zelenskiy interpreted this as renewed U.S. support, though critics noted the remarks shift responsibility to European NATO allies.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated Trump “was the one who promised to stop the killing,” adding, “it can’t be on us.”
