'Very manipulative': Zelenskyy slams Putin's peace deal comments as he says Russia 'wants to drag war out'
13 March 2025, 19:51 | Updated: 13 March 2025, 19:56
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hit out at "very manipulative" Vladimir Putin after the Russian president said he accepted the peace deal - with "nuances".
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The Ukrainian president said: "Putin, of course, is afraid to say directly to President Trump that he wants to continue this war, he wants to kill Ukrainians.
"That's why they in Moscow are framing the idea of silence with such preconditions that nothing will happen at all or that it will not happen for as long as possible."
He was speaking after Mr Putin said that he agreed with the Ukraine ceasefire proposals and that the deal should lead to a long-term peace.
However, there are "serious questions" that need to be asked about how it would be implemented, he said.
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Mr Zelenskyy said in response that the Russian president's words were "very predictable".
"As we have always said, the only one who will drag things out, the only one who will be unconstructive, is Russia," he said.
"They want a war. Putin has stolen years of peace and continues this war - day after day."
Mr Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine's allies should continue to put pressure on Putin to come to the negotiating table.
In contrast to the Ukrainian president's scepticism, Donald Trump praised Mr Putin for his "promising" remarks about he peace deal, urging Russia to "do the right thing".
Mr Trump welcomed the promising statement but insisted it was not complete.
He said it would be a "very disappointing moment for the world" if Russia rejected the proposal.
"Hopefully Russia will do the right thing," he said, adding that a peace deal "shouldn't be very complicated". The president urged both parties to get the process over with quickly.
