The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stressed today the need to maintain international pressure on Russia to force the occupiers to stop the war and accept a lasting diplomatic solution. His speech followed yesterday's meetings in the Vatican and Rome, where Ukrainian leaders sought reinforced support from Western partners.
"We maintain our firm positions in order to have all the opportunities for proper diplomacy. The Russians talk a lot about their alleged readiness to accept American proposals, but so far there have been no signs that the Russian military is preparing for a real silence."
On the contrary, on Easter, the occupier resumed its usual assault activity – of course, at the cost of significant losses, the Russians are trying to advance. And every day of such battles on the front proves that Russia is really trying to deceive the world – to deceive America and others – and to prolong this war even further. And that is why we need pressure.
Pressure is indispensable to make the Russians take all measures – whatever is necessary to stop the war. Yesterday's meetings in the Vatican and Rome confirmed that our partners understand what is happening."
During his visit to Rome, Zelensky met with senior Italian government officials, discussing ways Italy can step up defensive arms deliveries and expand economic sanctions against Moscow. At the Vatican, the Ukrainian president was received by Pope Francis, who reiterated his call for peace and dialogue, urging the international community not to abandon its support for Ukraine.
Despite Moscow's "open" rhetoric to American ceasefire proposals, the reality on the front line contradicts any gesture of de-escalation: on Good Friday and Easter, the Russian offensive reached a new peak of intensity, especially in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, where Russian forces tried to penetrate Ukrainian defenses.
According to the latest reports from the Ukrainian General Staff, each attempted advance resulted in heavy losses on the aggressor's side, proving the effectiveness of Ukrainian resistance, but also Russia's stubbornness to prolong the conflict.
Zelensky stressed that maintaining pressure means not only economic sanctions, but also increased military aid, strategic coordination between allied states, and solidary support at the political and diplomatic levels. "Every day without a firm reaction from the West is a framework in which the Kremlin finds an opportunity to restart the engines of war," the Ukrainian president noted.
In the context in which the international community is beginning to feel the fatigue of a conflict that has lasted for over three years, Zelensky's call for cohesion and vigilance comes as a wake-up call: a diplomatic outcome is still possible, but only if the EU, NATO and US member states continue their political and military actions against the aggressor.
The analysis by Brussels officials reveals that, in addition to the current package of sanctions, measures are being discussed to respond quickly to any Russian escalation. In addition, Italy and other European countries are preparing a new financing mechanism to restore Ukraine's critical infrastructure once the front lines become more stable.
As the eighth round of US-led negotiations initiated in March approaches, Kiev's firm position, supported by President Zelensky's appeal, will likely be the defining element for diplomacy's ability to conclude a real and lasting peace agreement in the near future.
