Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he wants to end war quickly, reliably

A residential building in Ukraine’s Kharkiv damaged by a Russian air attack on Monday.. PIC/AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who on Monday arrived in the US capital ahead of his high-stakes meeting with President Donald Trump shared a "strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably", stressing that peace with Russia must be "lasting".

"I have already arrived in Washington, tomorrow I am meeting with President Trump. We are also speaking with European leaders. We all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably. And peace must be lasting. Not like it was years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our East--part of Donbas--and Putin simply used it as a springboard for a new attack," Zelenskyy posted on X.

He recalled how "security guarantees" offered in 1994 had failed, and insisted that Ukraine would not accept half-measures. "Crimea should not have been given up then, just as Ukrainians did not give up Kyiv, Odesa, or Kharkiv after 2022," he said, adding that Ukraine's soldiers are making progress in Donetsk and Sumy.

Expressing gratitude to Washington, Zelenskyy said, "I am confident that we will defend Ukraine, effectively guarantee security, and that our people will always be grateful to President Trump, everyone in America, and every partner and ally for their support and invaluable assistance."

His arrival comes after Trump announced that the reclaiming of Crimea and NATO is off the table for Ukraine as he said that Zelenskyy "can end the war with Russia almost immediately if he wants to". The Trump-Zelenskyy talks follow Trump's three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15, which he rated a "10 on 10," Fox News reported.

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