Zelensky's aide warns war hungry Putin will not sign peace deal and 'must be stopped'

 

Hopes for Peace Diminish as Zelensky Aide Warns Putin Has No Intention of Ending War

As tentative hopes for peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv begin to surface, a stark warning from within Ukraine’s leadership raises serious doubts about any near-term resolution to the war, now entering its fourth year.

An aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no real interest in ending the conflict, declaring that “Putin must be stopped.” The warning followed reports that former U.S. President Donald Trump held a two-hour phone conversation with Putin, after which Trump claimed there was a "good chance" for peace.

Trump announced that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine would begin "immediately," but said the U.S. had drawn a red line regarding its involvement—though he declined to specify what that line is or when it might be crossed. “This was a European situation, it should have remained a European situation,” Trump remarked.

He also claimed he asked Putin directly, “When are we going to end this bloodbath?” and insisted, “I do believe he wants to end [the war]. My whole life is deals... and if I thought President Putin didn’t want to end it, I wouldn’t even be talking about it.”

Though Trump has previously asserted he could end the war in a single day, the latest developments suggest a growing realization that the conflict is far from being resolved and that the U.S. might eventually step back, leaving the warring nations to settle the matter themselves.

Russia has so far refused to accept a ceasefire as a precondition to peace talks, demanding instead that Ukraine commit not to join NATO—a key point of contention since the war began in February 2022 with Russia's full-scale invasion.

Analysts believe this position signals Putin’s intention to prolong the war indefinitely. The death toll has already surpassed 250,000, with no signs of de-escalation.

Anton Gerashchenko, a former deputy minister at Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and a close adviser to Zelensky, echoed this concern: “Putin is stalling. He doesn't want a ceasefire, he doesn't want to stop the war. Putin won’t stop on his own. He must be stopped.”

He explained that current discussions center around direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine under what he described as Putin’s terms: “negotiations first, then ceasefire”—a strategy Ukraine views as a trap. “Negotiations alone won’t bring swift results. Finding compromise could take a long time, during which the war will continue,” Gerashchenko said.

He added that Russia believes it can gain an advantage on the battlefield to improve its position at the negotiating table, making continued fighting likely. “Therefore, the Ukrainian Armed Forces require maximum international support and attention,” he emphasized.

Since the invasion began, Russia has seized roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory, marking Europe’s largest conflict since World War II. Despite pressure, Ukraine has refused to cede any land, including Crimea, which it considers sovereign territory illegally occupied by Russia.