Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling on European and American allies to come together—with urgency. As one people, they need to resist Russian aggression with all their might. This conflict is becoming a serious crisis in real time. Zelensky made clear that it would take a collective push to end the war that’s devastated Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion. During recent discussions with key European leaders, he reiterated Ukraine’s stance on territorial integrity and the necessity for security guarantees from Western allies, particularly the United States.
In the past week, Russia has accelerated its military offensive against Ukraine. They’ve fired over 1,600 attack drones, over 1,200 guided aerial bombs and almost 70 missiles. This increase in violence has led to unprecedented levels of harm. Ukrainian military spokespeople reported at least seven people killed during this past weekend alone. This tragedy happened during an extensive attack by over 90 drones and missiles fired by Russia.
In response to this aggression, Ukraine’s military executed a counterattack, successfully striking the Ryazan oil refinery in western Russia, one of the country’s largest refineries. This operation highlights Ukraine’s ability to strike back at Russian military infrastructure as the war continues.
Zelensky’s visit included meetings with British PM Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London. They faced each other in an honest conversation on highly sensitive topics tied to the current war. The meetings aimed to solidify support for Ukraine while addressing Zelensky’s concerns about a proposed peace plan initiated by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelensky acknowledged that this first proposal was further narrowed down to a 20-point plan, including points that were anti-Ukrainian eliminated.
“We definitely do not want to give anything up. That is what we are fighting for,” – Volodymyr Zelensky
Zelensky’s tone was unequivocal — no territory will be given to Russia. He did this even while negotiations were reportedly still underway on a possible settlement. He stated instead that Ukraine has no legal authority to cede territory under either its constitution or international law. Moreover, he raised an essential question regarding future conflicts: “If Russia again starts a war, what will our partners do?”
In light of the current situation, Zelensky expressed a willingness to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden if it would facilitate progress towards peace. He conveyed optimism about slight advancements in negotiations, stating, “There is slight progress towards a possible end to the war… I think the plan will be ready tomorrow.”
The circumstances became increasingly critical following the implementation of power cut schedules across all areas of Ukraine. This meant that even the capital city—Kyiv—would suffer from this ban. Meanwhile, residents in the capital endured rolling electricity outages of up to 12 hours in a day as Russian missile and drone strikes persistently attacked infrastructure.
And that’s what Zelensky called upon his Western allies to do, particularly in unequivocally calling for and taking decisive action to support Ukraine. “There are some things which we can’t manage without Americans, things we can’t manage without Europe, and that’s why we need to make some important decisions,” he stated.
The geopolitical dynamics surrounding this conflict are ever-complex. While Zelensky advocates for stronger support from allies, Russia maintains its stance on requiring territorial concessions as part of any settlement. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Russian government, suggested that changes to the talks would be compatible with Russia’s idea of a peaceful outcome.
“Perhaps one can hope that this may be a modest guarantee that it will be possible to continue working constructively together to find a peaceful settlement for Ukraine,” – Dmitry Peskov
Ahead of his trip, Friedrich Merz made clear his pro-Ukraine stance going into discussions with Zelensky. He reiterated that Ukraine’s survival is inextricably linked to the future of Europe itself. “We are still and remain strongly behind Ukraine… because we all know that the destiny of this country is the destiny of Europe,” he said.
As these peace talks continue with no clear end in sight, Zelensky’s appeal for solidarity is more important than ever. As both sides try to balance their hardening positions against a backdrop of increasing military confrontation and diplomatic engagement, the situation remains fast-moving.
