Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed disappointment on Sunday over the lack of a "response" from the United States to Russian President Vladimir Putin's "refusal" to agree to a full and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, following new deadly strikes, particularly in Kyiv.
The United States had proposed a 30-day ceasefire in March, which Kyiv accepted.
However, U.S. President Donald Trump, who has developed closer ties with Vladimir Putin, was only able to secure from Moscow an agreement for a truce in the Black Sea and a vague moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure, which both sides accuse each other of violating.
"Ukraine accepted the U.S. proposal for a total and unconditional ceasefire. Putin refuses," Volodymyr Zelensky stated in his daily address to the nation.
"We are waiting for a response from the United States - so far, there has been none," he criticized, calling for action from Europeans and "all those in the world who want peace."
Volodymyr Zelensky, whose relations with Donald Trump have been tumultuous in recent months, is urging Washington to pressure Russia.
He has repeatedly called on his allies to strengthen economic sanctions against Moscow.
Earlier on Sunday, he wrote on social media that "the pressure on Russia is still insufficient, and the daily Russian strikes on Ukraine prove it."
New contacts between Russian and American officials are possible "next week," Russian President Vladimir Putin's economic envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, indicated in a televised interview cited by Russian agencies on Sunday.
Kirill Dmitriev did not specify the nature of these contacts, though he is not officially involved in discussions on Ukraine.
AFP
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