Zelenskyy says Trump exerting undue pressure as Ukraine-Russia peace talks enter second day
Good morning and welcome to our Europe live blog. The Ukrainian president has stated that the United States is exerting undue pressure on him to bring the war to an end, as negotiators from Ukraine and Russia prepare for the second day of talks.
The US-brokered negotiations in Switzerland commenced on Tuesday, but expectations for significant progress remain low. Neither side appears willing to compromise on critical issues such as control over territory in eastern Ukraine and future security guarantees, despite the US setting a June deadline for a settlement.
US President Donald Trump has recently indicated that the responsibility lies with Ukraine to take steps to ensure the success of the talks. However, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by saying it is “not fair” that Trump publicly calls on Ukraine, but not Russia, to make concessions for peace.
“I hope it is just his tactics and not the decision,” Zelenskyy told the US website Axios.
He further stated that any plan requiring Ukraine to cede territory not captured by Russia in the eastern Donbas region would be rejected by Ukrainians if subjected to a referendum.
Meanwhile, the Danish king is scheduled to begin a three-day visit to Greenland, an island coveted by President Trump. The US president’s threats to seize the Arctic island by force if necessary have heightened diplomatic tensions between Washington and NATO member Denmark. Trump has maintained that Greenland is strategically important for US national security and defense. Although Trump has since softened his threats, King Frederik has expressed solidarity with Greenland, which is home to approximately 58,000 people.
Additionally, many Christians and Muslims across Europe will be fasting simultaneously today as they observe the beginning of Ash Wednesday and Ramadan, respectively. During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn until sunset for a month, while Christians observe a 40-day period of Lent leading up to Easter.
Talks focused on clarifying boundaries, says Umerov
Rustem Umerov, national security council chief and lead negotiator for Ukraine, has confirmed that the talks in Geneva have commenced.
“Consultations are taking place in focus groups within the political and military blocs. We are working to clarify the parameters and mechanics of the solutions discussed yesterday,” he posted on social media, without providing further details.
“We are focused on subject-specific work. We will inform you about the results later,” he added.
Reports indicate that the two sides remain at odds over key issues, including control of territory in eastern Ukraine.
While peace talks continue, the Ukrainian energy ministry reported that four regions are without power this morning due to Russian attacks on infrastructure.
Thousands of people are affected by power outages in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk in the south, as well as Sumy in the northeast, according to a Telegram post by the ministry.
More than 99,000 individuals are without electricity in Odesa, where the situation “remains difficult,” the ministry stated. The outages are attributed to Russian shelling that damaged equipment, compounded by adverse weather conditions.
Ukraine sanctions Belarus leader for supporting Russia's war
Ukraine has imposed sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for providing military support to Russia and facilitating “the killing of Ukrainians,” President Zelenskyy announced.
Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has permitted Moscow to use Belarusian territory as a launchpad for its invasion of Ukraine. Russia has also reportedly deployed a hypersonic ballistic weapon, which Putin claims is impervious to air defenses.
Belarus has allowed Russia to station various military assets in its territory, including relay stations that connect to Russian attack drones, which are launched in large numbers nightly at Ukrainian cities.
“Today Ukraine applied a package of sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko, and we will significantly intensify countermeasures against all forms of his assistance in the killing of Ukrainians,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post.
“He is helping Russia avoid Western sanctions and is actively justifying Russia’s war, now further increasing his own participation in scaling and prolonging the war.”
“There will be special consequences for this,” he added.
Peace talks in Geneva begin - reports
Russian state media have reported that the peace talks in Geneva have commenced. Early images from newswires show the scene outside the Intercontinental hotel where the second day of negotiations is underway.
