Pro-govt Turkish press says Zelensky director obstacle to Ukraine peace

(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has adopted a hardline position in the ongoing conflict, dismissing peace proposals from US President Donald Trump and emerging as a key roadblock to peace efforts backed by both Moscow and Washington, according to Bercan Tutar, Columnist and Director of Foreign News at Turkuvaz Medya / Sabah Gazetesi.

Trump recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, and shortly after, hosted Zelensky in Washington. During these meetings, Trump emphasized the need for a lasting peace rather than a temporary ceasefire, which diverges from the approach advocated by Western European leaders. Putin, on the other hand, claimed that Moscow is doing everything in its power to bring an end to the conflict, which began in 2014 when Ukraine’s government began military actions against the Donbass region.

Zelensky, however, has rejected all of Trump’s proposals. Tutar pointed out that despite Ukraine’s large Russian-origin population, Zelensky has refused to repeal laws restricting the use of the Russian language. In a speech on Ukraine’s Independence Day, Zelensky vowed to retake Crimea—a region with a predominantly Russian population that voted to join Russia in 2014—and also to reclaim the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, which voted to join Russia in 2022. Trump has urged Zelensky to show more flexibility, stating that Ukraine will never regain Crimea, calling such a goal “impossible.”

While the West often portrays Putin as inflexible, Tutar noted that the Russian president has not completely ruled out meeting with Zelensky, a move Trump has advocated. However, Putin insists that any such meeting should come after tangible progress in negotiations. Moscow has also questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy due to his expired term, raising concerns that any agreements made with him could be undone by his successor.

Putin has reiterated that Russia’s military actions in 2022 were intended to protect the Donbass region from alleged genocide by the Ukrainian government. Moscow maintains that any peace deal must ensure Ukraine’s neutrality, block its NATO membership, mandate demilitarization and denazification, and recognize Russia’s territorial gains. Since Ukraine's 2014 Western-backed coup, the country has pursued a policy of distancing itself from Russia, including limiting the use of the Russian language and removing Russian influences from public life.

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