Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday described US President Donald Trump’s call for Ukraine and Russia to halt fighting along current frontlines as “a good compromise,” but expressed doubt that Russian President Vladimir Putin would agree to such a move.
Speaking during his visit to Nordic countries, Zelensky renewed calls for a ceasefire and warned that Russia had “lost interest in diplomacy” even as Kyiv awaited long-range weapons from its Western partners.
His remarks came amid deepening uncertainty over international efforts to end the conflict following the abrupt postponement of a planned meeting between Trump and Putin.
The White House confirmed on Monday that the Budapest summit, which both leaders had agreed to hold within weeks, was paused after a tense call between US state secretary Marco Rubio and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.
US officials said there were “no imminent plans” for the two presidents to meet. The development underscored the fragile state of US–Russia diplomacy and cast fresh doubts over the trajectory of peace efforts.
“The dates haven’t been set yet, but thorough preparation is needed before then, and that takes time,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow. “It’s clear that all of this is surrounded by a great deal of gossip, rumours, and so on. Much of it is completely untrue. There’s no news yet.”
Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said that preparations for the summit were continuing and that he did not see any “major obstacles.”
He declined to confirm reports that Moscow had reiterated to Washington its earlier peace terms, which included Kyiv ceding control of the entire southeastern Donbas region — a demand viewed by Ukraine as unacceptable.
The reported terms amounted to a rejection of Trump’s suggestion that both sides freeze the conflict along existing frontlines.
Russia said on Wednesday it had carried out a major training exercise involving nuclear weapons, a day after the United States announced a delay in plans for a second summit between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on the Ukraine war.
The Kremlin released video showing General Valery Gerasimov, head of the General Staff, reporting to Putin on the drills. Russia said it fired missiles from ground launchers, submarines and aircraft, including intercontinental ballistic weapons that are capable of striking the United States.
At key moments in the war in Ukraine, Putin has issued reminders of Russia's nuclear might as a warning signal to Kyiv and its allies in the West. NATO has also been conducting nuclear deterrence exercises this month.
In a separate development, Sweden said it had signed a letter of intent to export Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, as European governments move to boost Kyiv's defences in a war that has ground on for three years and eight months, and shows no sign of ending soon.
Ukrainian pilots have been in Sweden to test the Gripen, a rugged and relatively low-cost option compared to aircraft such as the US F-35.
"We have started the work to obtain Gripens... and expect the future contract to allow us to acquire no less than 100 such jets," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said during a visit to Swedish defence manufacturer Saab. Kyiv aims to receive and start using them next year, he said.
As diplomatic tensions mounted, Russia and Ukraine exchanged heavy overnight missile fire.
Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday that the attacks killed six people, including two children, in Kyiv and the surrounding region, triggering widespread power outages across the country.
Ukraine’s military said on Tuesday that it struck a chemical plant in Russia’s Bryansk region with Franco-British Storm Shadow air-launched missiles in response.
Zelensky said Russian statements about diplomacy were meaningless “as long as the Russian leadership does not feel critical problems,” stressing that such pressure could only come through sanctions, long-range weapons, and coordinated diplomacy among Kyiv’s allies.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha appealed to international partners for “additional energy support” to avert a humanitarian crisis as winter approached, following emergency power cuts in most regions caused by the latest strikes.
Through the first nine months of his second term, Trump has continued to push for an end to the conflct.
He has alternated between criticism of Zelensky and expressions of frustration with Putin but has not enacted new sanctions against Moscow despite repeated threats to do so.
Shares in European defence companies rose following news of the summit’s delay, as most European governments reiterated strong support for Kyiv and pledged to raise defence spending to bolster Ukraine’s military capabilities.
During his Nordic visit, Zelensky met Sweden’s prime minister at Saab’s development and manufacturing centre, which produces fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, missile systems, and anti-tank weapons — key assets in Ukraine’s ongoing defence effort.
With inputs from Reuters