Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Oslo, Norway, Thursday, March 20, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged EU leaders on Thursday (March 20, 2025) to step up weapon supplies to Ukraine and keep pressuring Russia, as officials from Kyiv and Moscow readied to hold fresh talks with the United States next week.
Europe is scrambling to weigh on the outcome as U.S. President Donald Trump forges ahead with Russia on ending its war on Ukraine, and top military brass gathered in London on Thursday to thrash out how to police any peace deal.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said afterwards that the plans of the so-called “coalition of the willing” around Ukraine were “coming together”.
The London meeting came after Zelensky addressed an EU summit in Brussels via video call, charging that “despite Putin’s words… nothing has changed”.
Mr. Zelenskyy said a new Russian strike had “hit our energy infrastructure” on Wednesday night, even after Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed with Trump to halt such attacks.
The Kremlin leader must “stop making unnecessary demands that only prolong the war”, he added, calling on the EU to ramp up arms deliveries and keep sanctions in force.
In Norway, Zelensky said Ukrainian and US officials would meet in Saudi Arabia on Monday to build on US-led efforts to secure a speedy end to the Russian invasion, now grinding into its fourth year.
The Kremlin had earlier confirmed Russian officials would also hold talks with the US side in Saudi Arabia on the same day.
Power plants
Mr. Zelenskyy and Mr. Putin both held talks with Mr. Trump this week and have indicated they are prepared to halt attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days.
But there has since been no let-up in fighting. Both countries reported a barrage of new drone strikes overnight, as questions remained about the exact details of any lasting peace deal.
Trump, who has spooked European and NATO allies by his overtures to Putin and lukewarm commitment to European security, suggested on Wednesday night the United States could take over and run Ukraine’s power plants.
But on Thursday, Mr. Zelenskyy poured cold water on the idea, saying he could not legally negotiate ownership of the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.
“If they want to take it back from the Russians, if they want to modernise it, invest — this is a different question, this is an open question, we can talk about it,” Mr. Zelenskyy added.
Mr. Putin has made an end to further Western military support for Ukraine a red line for Russia agreeing to a long-term truce.
Meanwhile, some 30 military leaders from countries keen to help secure any lasting ceasefire in Ukraine huddled at a military base near London.
Afterwards, Mr. Starmer reported progress had been made, saying the talks were focused on turning the “political intention” of security guarantees for Ukraine into “reality”.
“Whether that’s in relation to what might happen at sea or air or defending borders, and those plans are coming together,” he told several of the military commanders in attendance and British soldiers at the base.
Mr. Starmer has spearheaded international efforts with French President Emmanuel Macron to police any truce in Ukraine, and both say they are willing to put their own troops on the ground.
Russia, however, has said it will not accept the presence of any NATO troops in Ukraine and Washington has not yet indicated whether it would be willing to provide a security backstop.
Air defences
Despite Mr. Trump going cold on support for Ukraine, the United States is looking at helping Kyiv to acquire additional air defence systems to counter Russia’s ballistic missiles.
“This is extremely important,” said the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas, who is pushing member states to meet a Ukrainian request for two million shells worth five billion euros ($5.4 billion), though no headway was made on the plan at Thursday’s summit.
According to a White House readout, Mr. Zelenskyy on Wednesday asked Mr. Trump for help in obtaining U.S.-made “Patriot missile systems” to bolster its current stock provided by the United States, Germany and Romania.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov questioned whether Europe, where governments are looking at steep increases in domestic defence spending, was committed to ending the fighting.
“For the most part, the signals from Brussels and European capitals concern plans to militarise Europe,” he said.
Ukraine’s air force said Thursday that Russia launched 171 drones over its territory overnight, with two people killed in the northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv regions and several others wounded.
Russia meanwhile said its air defence units had shot down 132 Ukrainian drones in several regions across the country. Two people were wounded, it added.
Published – March 21, 2025 12:40 am IST
