Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated during the European Union leaders’ summit on October 23 that a ceasefire with Russia is only possible if there is increased international pressure on the aggressor country. According to him, Ukraine is open to peace negotiations, but a key condition remains the just content of the agreements.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Zelensky on Sanctions and Military Support
The Ukrainian leader highly appreciated the EU’s decision to implement the 19th package of sanctions against Russia, which were synchronized with the introduction of energy restrictions by the United States. The new US sanctions are the first imposed on Russia since Donald Trump’s presidency. Zelensky expressed hope that Ukraine would receive long-range Tomahawk missiles, emphasizing the sensitivity of this issue and its strategic importance for the country’s defense capabilities.
“The 19th package from European leaders is very important, but American sanctions are also extremely important. This is a good signal to other countries in the world to join the sanctions. We need to not only stop energy cooperation but also the ‘shadow fleet,’ etc. – and continue the pressure until Putin stops the war,” Zelensky emphasized.
EU’s Position and Response to US and Russia’s Statements
President of the European Council António Costa announced the preparation of a political decision regarding reparative loans for Ukraine. He emphasized that EU leaders agreed to meet Ukraine’s financial needs in 2026–2027 and sent a clear signal to Russia about their unwavering support for Kyiv. Costa called on the Russian Federation to end the war and accept the peace initiative from the US president.
Amid discussions of a possible ceasefire, US President Donald Trump proposed the idea of stopping the war along the current front line, suggesting leaving the situation in Donbas unchanged. However, according to The Washington Post, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a conversation with Trump, demanded the transfer of the entire Donetsk region to Russia in exchange for the return of part of the territories in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions that were captured by Russian troops. The Ukrainian authorities firmly rejected the possibility of concessions, stressing the unacceptability of transferring controlled territories to the aggressor.
Despite diplomatic initiatives, on the night of October 22, Russia launched a massive missile strike on Ukrainian territory, primarily targeting energy facilities and residential buildings. Fires and destruction were recorded in Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv, as well as in Kyiv, Odesa, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy, and Sumy regions. As a result of the attacks, emergency power outages were implemented, and at least six people were killed in Kyiv and the region.
At the same time, Donald Trump announced that a planned meeting with Putin in Budapest was canceled, but did not rule out the possibility of holding it in the future. He emphasized that previous negotiations with Putin had not yielded concrete results.
According to analytics from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Kremlin continues to show an unwillingness to agree to an immediate ceasefire unless it involves Ukraine’s complete capitulation. Experts note that Russia’s position remains rigid, and the peace conditions proposed by Moscow are unacceptable to Kyiv.