Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants the Global South to get on board. He expects them to increase their pressure on Russia to stop its illegal war in Ukraine. His plea coincides with international diplomatic efforts for a peaceful settlement apparently at a standstill, with Russia said to be stalling. Zelenskyy emphasized the urgency of diplomatic efforts, stating that the conflict “must be brought to an end” and that “the killings and destruction must be stopped.”
In an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov lacked all pretense. He ruled out right now a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy. He acknowledged that Putin is willing to meet with Zelenskyy, provided that a proper agenda is established beforehand. Lavrov admitted that the required political agenda for such a summit is missing.
Zelenskyy repeated that he is ready to sit down with Putin in whatever form necessary. He urged the Global South to send positive, relevant signals to Moscow that might help guide a turn toward peace.
“However, we see that Moscow is once again trying to drag everything out even further. It is important that the Global South sends relevant signals and pushes Russia toward peace.” – Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Even former U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly lobbying hard to schedule a peace summit between Putin and Zelenskyy. He’s moving ahead regardless, given that negotiations have stalled. Trump expressed frustration over Moscow’s inaction regarding peace talks and renewed a warning of potential sanctions against Russia if no momentum is achieved within the next two weeks.
On Monday, Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed that its forces had taken full control of two villages in the Donetsk region, Sredneye and Kleban-Byk. This development highlights the continuation of military actions, despite a deadlocked diplomatic process.
The whole thing is still pretty messy as both sides seem deeply dug in on their respective fronts. While Zelenskyy seeks international support to pressure Russia into negotiations, Moscow’s apparent reluctance to engage without a concrete agenda complicates matters further.
