Negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine are increasingly reaching a deadlock amid Washington’s shifting priorities and the Kremlin’s hardline position. Ukraine is openly showing distrust toward new American initiatives, fearing a scenario of a temporary ceasefire without real security guarantees. At the same time, doubts are growing in Europe about the effectiveness of U.S. weapons procurement schemes and America’s ability to remain Kyiv’s main guarantor of support. Against this backdrop, Putin is already publicly speaking about the “end of the war,” even as fighting and Russian attacks continue unabated.
Zelensky is increasingly criticizing the U.S. amid failed talks with Russia, NYT reports
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has begun publicly distancing himself from the United States amid the de facto freezing of peace talks with Russia and Washington’s changing priorities. According to The New York Times, Donald Trump’s administration is no longer seen by Kyiv as a reliable partner, while U.S. attention has shifted to the Middle East and the conflict surrounding Iran. The article notes that just a year ago, harsh criticism of Washington by Zelensky would have seemed impossible. Now, however, Ukrainian authorities are increasingly relying on their own strength and on support from Europe. According to journalists, the war in the Middle East has become a catalyst for this process.
According to the publication, the U.S. tried to push Ukraine toward exchanging territory for peace and also partially eased sanctions on certain Russian oil assets. Zelensky had earlier said that such steps give Russia a “sense of impunity.” Against the backdrop of the reduced U.S. role in negotiations, Kyiv is increasingly preparing for a scenario of a prolonged war with smaller volumes of American support.
“There are no real negotiations. Russia has no incentive for that right now. And the United States also no longer looks like a reliable and reasonable mediator between the two sides,” said Harry Nedelcu, senior director at the European political consulting firm Rasmussen Global.
Distrust is growing in Europe over the program to purchase American weapons for Ukraine, WP reports
European U.S. allies are increasingly critical of the PURL program, under which NATO countries purchase American weapons for Ukraine. According to The Washington Post, the main causes for concern are delays in deliveries, a shortage of Patriot missiles, and the depletion of U.S. stockpiles due to the war with Iran. Some European countries have begun to question whether all of their contributions are actually being used to meet Ukraine’s needs. Partners are also raising questions about how the Pentagon distributes funds and sets priorities amid several international crises.
The PURL program was agreed upon last year as a mechanism for supplying Ukraine with weapons that only the United States can provide, including air-defense systems and missiles to protect cities from Russian attacks. For the Trump administration, this scheme was politically convenient, since the funding for the purchases fell on European allies rather than American taxpayers. However, doubts about the effectiveness of this model are now being voiced more and more often in Europe. Some NATO countries are hesitating to make new contributions, fearing that, because of other conflicts and shifting U.S. priorities, deliveries to Ukraine could slow down even further.
Ukraine fears the U.S. may once again try to push through a deal on Russia’s terms
The United States is trying to revive negotiations between Ukraine and Russia by proposing a temporary ceasefire in exchange for a partial easing of sanctions against Moscow. This was reported by Kyiv Independent citing sources familiar with the course of the talks. Kyiv fears that the new format of agreements will not include the key element for Ukraine — clear security guarantees. Ukrainian officials believe that a pause in the war without such guarantees would allow Russia to regroup, ease some of the sanctions pressure, and resume aggression later.
One of the main sticking points remains territorial issues and the status of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. According to the sources, Moscow insists on maintaining control over the plant and is also seeking international recognition of the occupied territories and sanctions relief.
“Overall, the Russians are concerned about three things: Donbas, recognition of the territories, including the ZNPP, and the lifting of sanctions,” a source told the publication.
At the same time, the article states that the American side is “in principle ready” to discuss such steps. Ukrainian officials emphasize that the U.S. has so far provided no legally binding security guarantees and is proposing to discuss them only after a complete cessation of hostilities.
Putin says the war against Ukraine is “nearing its end”
Russian President Vladimir Putin saidthat, in his view, the war against Ukraine is “nearing its end.” He made the statement after the May 9 celebrations in Moscow, which this year were held in a significantly more modest format, without a large-scale display of intercontinental missiles or a large amount of military equipment. Putin also said he was ready to discuss a new security system for Europe and named former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as a desirable negotiating partner. At the same time, the Kremlin had earlier reported that U.S.-mediated talks had effectively been put on pause.
In his statements, Putin once again blamed the West for the war, repeating claims about alleged broken promises not to expand NATO after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Meanwhile, Russian troops have continued fighting for more than four years, and the war itself has become the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. Despite significant losses and economic pressure, Moscow does not fully control even Donbas, where Ukrainian forces are holding defensive lines around major fortified cities. Putin also said that a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky would be possible only after a “stable peace agreement” is reached.
Zelensky says Russia has no intention of ending the war
Zelensky saidthat Russia is showing no intention of ending its war against Ukraine. According to him, despite the formal ceasefire from May 9 to May 11, fighting on the front did not stop, and Russian forces continued attacks along the line of contact.
“There was no silence on the front today. Combat operations continued,” Zelensky said in his evening address following the first day of the ceasefire.
The president emphasized that Ukraine is forced to prepare for new attacks, although it continues to work toward achieving peace.
Zelensky made this statement after Putin’s claim that the war was supposedly “nearing its end.” At the same time, both Kyiv and Moscow accused each other of violating the ceasefire regime promoted by the United States as part of Donald Trump’s new peace initiatives. Ukraine’s General Staff reported 180 combat clashes on May 10 alone, as well as dozens of new Russian attacks on Ukrainian Armed Forces positions. In Ukraine’s southern regions, particularly in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, civilians were killed as a result of Russian shelling.
Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov / Libkos / Getty Images
Author: Danylo Pievchev