Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Russia is not showing any willingness to make peace and is preparing for new offensive operations. According to him, the Kremlin is deliberately choosing war over diplomacy and disregarding international efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy made this statement during his evening address on May 26.
The President of Ukraine held a meeting of the High Command today, during which he heard intelligence reports on the situation at the front and the plans and capabilities of the Russian army. According to Zelenskyy, the information received does not give grounds to believe that Moscow intends to end the war—on the contrary, there is growing evidence of preparations for new offensives.
The head of state stressed that Putin and his entourage do not consider peace or a diplomatic settlement as a real option, but instead are deliberately continuing military operations. Zelenskyy called this “blatant disregard” for all countries that support diplomatic efforts.
The president also drew attention to the intensification of Russian shelling: in three days, more than 900 strike drones, as well as ballistic and cruise missiles, were fired at Ukraine. In his opinion, such tactics have no military purpose and are a political choice by Russia – a choice to continue destruction.
Zelenskyy mentioned the recent meeting in Istanbul, after which Russia is allegedly preparing proposals for a peace memorandum. However, as the president emphasized, the parallel active phase of hostilities testifies to the manipulative nature of these initiatives.
He called on partners to assess the situation as honestly as possible and to exert joint political, economic, and military pressure on Russia.