Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reaffirmed Ukraine’s willingness to engage in truce negotiations with Russia, emphasizing a 30-day ceasefire as a critical first step toward a sustainable peace agreement. Speaking in Kyiv on May 10, 2025, during a summit with the Coalition of the Willing—a group of European nations supporting Ukraine—Zelensky urged Russian officials to respond to the ceasefire proposal, warning that failure to agree could trigger additional Western sanctions on Russia’s energy and banking sectors. His remarks reflect Ukraine’s strategic push for a diplomatic resolution amid ongoing Russian military advances.
The proposed 30-day ceasefire, backed by the United States and European allies, aims to halt hostilities along the current frontlines, providing a window for negotiations on broader issues, including territorial disputes and security guarantees. Zelensky has consistently advocated for a comprehensive truce with robust monitoring mechanisms, arguing that shorter ceasefires, such as Russia’s three-day Victory Day proposal for May 8-11, 2025, are insufficient and prone to exploitation. He has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ceasefire offers as manipulative, designed to bolster Russia’s domestic image rather than advance peace.
Ukraine’s openness to talks comes against a backdrop of intense fighting. Russian forces have made significant territorial gains in 2024, capturing over 1,042 square miles, particularly in Donetsk Oblast, though at a staggering cost of approximately 45,000 personnel casualties per month in late 2024. Ukraine has countered with drone strikes on Russian military infrastructure, including a facility in Bryansk Oblast on May 4, 2025, demonstrating its resilience despite resource constraints. Zelensky has emphasized that any truce must include guarantees to prevent Russia from using pauses to regroup, citing past violations of the Minsk II Accords.
The Coalition of the Willing, comprising nations like France, the UK, and Lithuania, has endorsed the 30-day ceasefire, with discussions focusing on deploying a European peacekeeping force to monitor compliance. French President Emmanuel Macron has indicated that a military contingent could be proposed in coming weeks, while NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has expressed support for the initiative. The U.S., under President Donald Trump, has also backed the ceasefire, with a term sheet outlining 22 conditions, including the neutralization of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant area, though Russia has rejected key elements, such as an immediate truce and NATO membership deferral for Ukraine.
Zelensky’s push for negotiations is driven by both strategic and humanitarian imperatives. Ukraine faces mounting pressure from Russian offensives, while the forcible deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories remains a flashpoint. The president has insisted that any agreement must address the return of these children and respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its 1991 borders. As diplomatic efforts intensify, Ukraine’s readiness for talks signals a pragmatic approach, but the path to peace remains fraught with challenges, given Russia’s insistence on territorial concessions and its rejection of Ukraine’s core demands.