Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being “afraid” of genuine peace talks and resorting to “cynical tricks” to prolong the ongoing war, which is nearing its third year.

The comments came shortly after Putin, on Tuesday (January 28, 2025), stated that Russia was open to potential peace negotiations with Ukraine — but ruled out direct talks with Zelenskyy, dismissing him as “illegitimate.” Putin argued that since Zelenskyy’s presidential term had formally expired under martial law, any engagement would need to be conducted through representatives rather than with him personally.

Responding to these remarks, Zelenskyy accused the Russian leader of deliberately avoiding meaningful dialogue, saying Putin’s statements were merely an attempt to manipulate public perception while continuing aggression on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump, who assumed office on January 20, has called on both nations to end hostilities, emphasizing the need for a negotiated settlement. He has warned of tougher sanctions against Russia if the conflict continues but also noted that Zelenskyy remains “willing to make a deal” in pursuit of peace.

Despite renewed international pressure, there has been little indication that Moscow and Kyiv are any closer to resuming formal negotiations, with both sides holding firm to their respective positions.

Putin added, “If there is a genuine will to negotiate and reach a compromise, anyone can represent the talks. Naturally, our goal will be to pursue outcomes that serve our interests and national priorities.”

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that there remains a real opportunity to achieve lasting peace but accused the Russian leader of deliberately obstructing progress.

“Today, Putin once again showed that he fears negotiations, fears strong leadership, and is doing everything he can to prolong the war,” Zelenskyy wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Kyiv has also voiced concern that it could be sidelined in potential peace discussions between Moscow and Washington, accusing Putin of trying to “manipulate” U.S. President Donald Trump to shape negotiations in Russia’s favor.

Mr. Putin claimed that the war would come to an end within two months if Western nations stopped providing military and financial support to Ukraine.

“They won’t last even a month if the flow of money and ammunition stops. Everything would be over within a month and a half, maybe two,” he told a State TV reporter.

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s promise to swiftly broker a ceasefire, the fighting continues with no clear sign of de-escalation.

On Wednesday, Russia announced it had intercepted more than 100 Ukrainian drones in an overnight assault, while Kyiv’s military reported that Moscow carried out its own overnight drone strike in retaliation.

Meanwhile, Russia’s army claimed to have captured the village of Dvorichna in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, marking another small but symbolic territorial gain for Moscow. The Russian Defence Ministry said its troops had “liberated” the settlement, which had a pre-war population of around 3,000 residents.

Located along the strategically significant Oskil River, Dvorichna was first taken by Russian forces during the early stages of the 2022 invasion but was later reclaimed by Ukrainian troops during a rapid counteroffensive.

Ukrainian military-linked bloggers also reported that Russian troops were making progress near Chasiv Yar, a key hilltop town that once housed about 12,000 people before the war.

After months of grinding combat, Ukrainian forces have faced increasing strain—stretched thin along a 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, and struggling against Russia’s superior numbers and firepower.

In a separate development, Ukraine’s government dismissed a deputy defence minister on Tuesday after the defence chief accused him of failing to ensure the “timely supply of ammunition” to frontline troops.

Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked that the war in Ukraine might never have happened if Donald Trump had remained in office.

“I can’t disagree with him — had he been President, and if the 2020 election hadn’t been, as he says, taken from him, the crisis that unfolded in Ukraine in 2022 could likely have been avoided,” Putin said, echoing the U.S. leader’s earlier assertion.

On Friday (January 24, 2025), Russian President Vladimir Putin echoed U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that the war in Ukraine could have been prevented had Trump been in power during 2022. Putin also mentioned that Moscow remains open to engaging in dialogue with Washington on a broad range of matters.

“We always maintained a pragmatic, professional, and even trusting relationship with the current U.S. president,” Putin said. “I can’t disagree with him — had he remained in office and not been denied victory in 2020, the crisis that erupted in Ukraine in 2022 might never have occurred.”

His remarks represented Putin’s most explicit endorsement yet of Trump’s ongoing claim that the 2020 U.S. presidential election was stolen.

Trump has long argued that the conflict would not have broken out under his leadership, despite the fact that during his presidency, hostilities in eastern Ukraine between Kyiv’s forces and Moscow-backed separatists had already intensified — before Russia’s large-scale invasion in 2022.

A day earlier, on Thursday (January 23, 2025), Trump told Fox News that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should have reached an agreement with Putin to avert the war.

References

• Afp. (2025, January 29). Putin says talks with Ukraine possible, but not with Zelenskyy. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/putin-says-talks-with-ukraine-possible-but-not-with-zelenskyy/article69153749.ece
• Ap. (2025, January 25). Russian President Putin says Ukraine conflict could have been avoided had Trump been in office. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/putin-says-ukraine-conflict-could-have-been-avoided-had-trump-been-in-office/article69137748.ece
• Johny, S. (2024, March 18). Vladimir Putin | Reign of the patriarch. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/vladimir-putin-reign-of-the-patriarch/article67963647.ece
• Sampath, G. (2022, February 6). Volodymyr Zelensky | The comedian-turned-President. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/volodymyr-zelensky-the-comedian-turned-president/article38384687.ece
• Ap. (2025, January 24). Invest in U.S. or face tariffs: Donald Trump to global elites in Davos. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/invest-in-us-or-face-tariffs-donald-trump-to-global-elites-in-davos/article69133451.ece