President Volodymyr Zelenskyy\u2019s May 13, 2025 address frames Ukraine\u2019s position on ending Russia\u2019s war with a mix of urgency, resolve, and diplomatic sequencing. He opens by reporting emergency work in Kharkiv after another Russian drone strike on a civilian energy facility, underscoring his core claim: Russia started the war, continues it, and answers talk of ceasefires or negotiations with fresh attacks. That pattern, he argues, clarifies the path forward\u2014sustained international pressure to make Moscow stop stalling and a negotiation format that is both real and accountable. Kyiv, he says, is \u201cabsolutely ready\u201d for such a format and is actively preparing, including an upcoming visit to T\u00fcrkiye. Zelenskyy thanks partners who are pressing for a long-lasting, unconditional ceasefire and for leader-level talks. He highlights a joint statement by Nordic and Baltic leaders backing negotiations, notes broader European resolve, records China\u2019s stated support for a ceasefire and talks, and cites Washington\u2019s clear message that top leaders should meet. The practical implication, Zelenskyy stresses, is that any credible negotiation must involve the one person who decides everything in Russia\u2014Vladimir Putin\u2014because only he can choose to end the war. Alongside this outward diplomacy, the speech elevates domestic resilience as strategic leverage. Zelenskyy relays reports from the foreign minister, the head of the Presidential Office, and the defense minister on ongoing high-level contacts to strengthen Ukraine\u2019s bargaining position. He also spotlights internal governance: efforts by the tax service to dismantle shadow schemes and protect fiscal stability, and the state\u2019s ability to maintain all social payments despite war and diplomatic turbulence. The message is calibrated for audiences at home and abroad: Ukraine is ready to negotiate seriously and swiftly, provided the format is effective and addresses real decision-makers; partners\u2019 pressure remains essential to curb Russian obstruction; and Ukraine\u2019s institutions are functioning, reinforcing both public resilience and diplomatic credibility.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Zelenskyy says Ukraine is \u201cabsolutely ready\u201d for a truly effective format of talks, insists any negotiation must involve Putin, and urges sustained international pressure. He pairs diplomacy with domestic resilience: stable finances and ensured social payments.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":1725,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[700,698,696,701,675,677,678,682],"class_list":["post-1724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-china","tag-drones","tag-kharkiv","tag-kyiv","tag-putin","tag-russia","tag-ukraine","tag-zelensky","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n