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President Volodymyr Zelensky meets U.S. President Donald Trump shortly before the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican on April 26, 2025. (Andriy Yermak/Telegram)
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U.S. President Donald Trump must realize that Russian President Vladimir Putin is an obstacle to peace efforts, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in comments reported by the Guardian on May 13.

"Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies," Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv.

"And we should do our part. Sensibly approach this issue, to show that it’s not us that is slowing down the process."

The comments come ahead of Zelensky's planned trip to Turkey, where he invited Putin to discuss a potential ceasefire and a prisoner exchange in what would be the first direct peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022.

Russia, which initially proposed to launch direct peace negotiations this week, has confirmed that it would dispatch a delegation to the talks but declined to confirm Putin's participation.

"If Putin does not arrive and plays games, it is the final point that he does not want to end the war," Zelensky said.

Ukraine and its allies have called for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting on May 12 as the first step toward peace – a proposal ignored by Russia.

Trump has voiced optimism about the potential meeting of the two leaders and suggested he might attend as well.

The White House has grown increasingly frustrated with the stalled peace efforts as the self-imposed 100-day deadline to broker a deal has passed. The U.S. president has been critical of both Ukraine and Russia, blaming them for the deadlock in the negotiations.

After meeting Zelensky in the Vatican on April 26, Trump admitted that Putin may not be interested in peace and floated the possibility of imposing additional sanctions on Russia.

As Ukraine, Russia peace talks loom, all eyes are on Putin’s next move
With just two days to go before Russian-proposed peace talks might begin in Istanbul, the Kremlin is still refusing to confirm whether or not President Vladimir Putin will attend the event. President Volodymyr Zelensky has already said he will meet Putin there, a move that puts the ball very much into the Kremlin’s court. Upping the pressure further, U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 12 that he believes that “both leaders” will be there, thrusting Putin into a delicate diplomatic dilemma

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1:29 PM

Zelensky arrives at NATO summit in The Hague as Netherlands pledges new aid.

Welcoming Zelensky at the Catshuis official residence, Schoof presented a new military aid package for Ukraine, including 100 drone radar systems, front-line vehicles for evacuating the wounded, and 80 million euros (over $90 million) for the drone initiative. The Netherlands will also start producing drones for Ukraine, according to Ukrainian specifications.
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