Washington increases pressure on Kyiv for rapid deal with Moscow

The United States is intensifying pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reach a rapid agreement with Russia, based on the assumption that Ukraine is facing imminent defeat. However, reports from The Times and the Institute for the Study of War suggest the frontline remains largely blocked. While Russian forces continue offensive operations and have achieved local advances in certain sectors, they have failed to encircle the remaining Ukrainian-controlled parts of the Donetsk region.

Following meetings between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Zelenskyy in Oslo, and President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg, President Donald Trump has increased public pressure for a settlement. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre noted the distinction between a temporary ceasefire and a definitive territorial settlement, expressing doubt that Ukraine would officially recognize the current frontline as a permanent border.

President Zelenskyy has stated that Kyiv is prepared to freeze hostilities along the current line of contact, but only if the country receives reliable security guarantees from the United States and Europe. Russia has not committed to such an arrangement and continues to demand terms that extend beyond a simple cessation of hostilities.