'Putin is bluffing', Zelenskyy warns Trump ahead of US-Russia talks in Alaska
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned Donald Trump that Vladimir Putin is "bluffing" and still wants to occupy Ukraine, ahead of the US President's meeting with the Russian leader on Friday.
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Speaking following a call with Mr Trump and European leaders, the Ukrainian president urged the American leader not to trust Putin’s claims.
"Putin is bluffing - he is trying to push forward along the whole front," he said.
He added that Putin "is also bluffing, saying he doesn't care about the sanctions and that they're not working".
"In reality, the sanctions are very effective, and they're hurting the Russian military economy," he said.
Mr Zelenskyy also argued that "Putin doesn't want peace - he wants to occupy our country", adding that US and European sanctions are vital measures needed to "stop Putin's war".
It comes as US Vice-President JD Vance visited a UK airbase as part of his trip to the UK, where he spent time with Foreign Secretary David Lammy to discuss Ukraine and Russia.
Read more: Zelenskyy reveals region Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw from as part of ceasefire deal
Read more: Trump confirms Zelenskyy will not attend key peace summit with Putin in Alaska
Mr Zelenskyy and European leaders reportedly agreed on five principles that they presented to Mr Trump during the call on Wednesday.
The first was that Ukraine must be included in the discussions in a three-sided format.
They agreed there should be a ceasefire, with security guarantees.
Mr Trump reportedly supports this and said the US is ready to take part.
Russia should not have the right to veto Ukraine’s Nato prospects, the countries agreed.
They also decided there must be joint pressure and sanctions placed on Russia.
Sir Keir Starmer, who joined the call, made clear that “international borders must not be changed by force”.
In a readout of the call on Wednesday, a No 10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister joined a call with the leaders of the United States, Ukraine, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland, Nato and the European Union this afternoon.
“All leaders agreed this week marks an important moment for the future of Ukraine. They thanked President Trump for his efforts in bringing Putin to the table in pursuit of a ceasefire to end to the ongoing bloodshed.
“The Prime Minister was clear that our support for Ukraine is unwavering – international borders must not be changed by force and Ukraine must have robust and credible security guarantees to defend its territorial integrity as part of any deal.”
“Europe stands ready to support this and will continue to work alongside President Trump and President Zelensky for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” they added.“They looked forward to speaking again following the meeting in Alaska on Friday.”
It comes ahead of Mr Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska.
"We hope that the central theme will be a ceasefire. The United States president said this several times.
"He proposed to me that after the meeting in Alaska, we'll have contact and discuss all the results, if they are achieved, and we'll define future steps," Mr Zelenskyy said.
Last night, Mr Zelenskyy said Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region as part of a ceasefire deal.
It would mean giving up the remaining 30 per cent of the Donetsk region and would leave almost the entirety of the Donbas in Russian hands, as reported by the Associated Press.
Speaking at a news briefing in Kyiv, the Ukrainian President said Russia’s position was expressed to him by US officials.
He reiterated that Ukraine would not withdraw from territories it controls because it was unconstitutional and would only serve as a springboard for a future Russian invasion.
Russia has made several advances on the battlefield as it reportedly seized more than six miles of territory in the Pokrovsk and Dobropol region.
More than 110,000 Russian personnel are advancing in the Pokrov region alone, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
However, Ukraine could agree to stop fighting and cede this territory already held by Russia, it has emerged.
Mr Zelenskyy has urged European leaders to reject any settlement proposed by Mr Trump in which Ukraine gives up further territory - but that Russia could be allowed to retain some of the land it has taken.
Mr Trump has said he will try to get back some of the Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine in peace talks with Putin on Friday.