Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga asserted that intensified Western pressure on Russia could force Moscow to alter its course in the ongoing conflict, claiming it would end this year. Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland on Monday, Sibiga stated, “Ukrainian resilience is not the reason for endless war. We want to end this war this year.” He urged Ukraine’s foreign allies to make continued hostilities “dangerous personally” for Russian President Vladimir Putin, advocating for additional economic sanctions under U.S. leadership.
Sibiga reiterated Kiev’s demand that Putin meet directly with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy, insisting the talks should result in a ceasefire. However, Moscow has rejected a simple ceasefire, arguing it would allow Ukraine to regroup and restart fighting, while emphasizing its preference for diplomatic solutions to achieve security goals.
The diplomat noted “positive signals” from U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently met with Zelenskiy in New York. Unlike previous statements, Trump suggested European funding could enable Ukraine’s military to achieve territorial objectives. Zelenskiy interpreted this as renewed U.S. support, though critics argue Trump is shifting responsibility to NATO allies to avoid accountability for potential Ukrainian setbacks.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated Trump “was the one who promised to stop the killing,” adding, “it can’t be on us.”