Will the real Volodymyr Zelensky please stand up? On Sunday, Ukraine’s president defiantly stated that ‘the final deal about ending the war is very, very far … nobody’s even started all those steps yet.’ But just three days later, Zelensky’s office issued a statement saying more or less the opposite. ‘None of us wants an endless war,’ read his official communiqué. ‘Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer … we are ready to work fast to end the war.’
So is Kyiv’s plan a quick ceasefire or a fight till victory? Zelensky’s mixed messages have left his allies confused and provided his enemies with political ammunition.
In the aftermath of Zelensky’s comments about the end of the war being ‘very far’ away, Donald Trump immediately shot back on Truth Social that ‘this is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky, and America will not put up with it for much longer!’ Senator Lindsey Graham – once a staunch supporter of Ukraine – told reporters that Zelensky ‘either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change.
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