Zelenskyy on ceasefire talks: Russia is dragging its feet, but partners can apply pressure

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that representatives of US leader Donald Trump are holding talks with the Russians on a ceasefire along the front line, but the Putin regime is "dragging its feet".

Source: Zelenskyy during an online briefing with journalists, responding to a question on whether Russia is ready for a ceasefire

Quote: "The Americans are definitely holding talks with the Russians. They are discussing various options. I will put it very simply: for now, Russia is dragging its feet. But our partners are strong enough and can twist their arm if they want to."

Background:

• After a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris, President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said that work on security guarantees has largely been completed, but added that the "land" issue remains unresolved and talks on it will continue.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hopes Ukraine's negotiating team will discuss the most difficult issues related to ending the war during the 7 January meeting with representatives of US President Donald Trump.
• Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia's condition for halting hostilities is Ukraine's complete withdrawal of its armed forces beyond Donbas. Ukraine's top leadership has described this condition as unacceptable.

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