Kremlin Pressures for Peace: A Call to Influence Zelenskiy

The Kremlin emphasized the need for Ukrainian President Zelenskiy to pursue peace after a tense meeting with President Trump. With ongoing conflict since 2014, Russia claims Zelenskiy lacks diplomatic skills and urges Europe to encourage peace efforts amid a fragmenting Western front.

The Kremlin on Monday stressed the importance of convincing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to seek peace, following a recent clash with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House that highlighted the challenges in resolving the ongoing conflict.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated the difficulty of negotiating a peace settlement with Ukraine, stating that the Kyiv regime, under Zelenskiy, is unwilling to pursue peace and continues to favor war. He suggested that European powers could potentially influence Zelenskiy towards peacemaking efforts.

Amidst these tensions, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who ordered an invasion of Ukraine in 2022, acknowledged the recent diplomatic incident as a sign of Zelenskiy's inadequate negotiation skills. Peskov also pointed to a perceived fragmentation in Western resistance against Russia, suggesting a fading unity among Western nations.

(With inputs from agencies.)