Shortly before a meeting with US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned against half-hearted agreements to end the war in his country.

Peace must be lasting, he wrote on Platform X. "Not like years ago, when Ukraine was forced to give up Crimea and part of our east – part of the Donbas – and (Kremlin leader Vladimir) Putin simply used this as a springboard for a new attack." Zelenskyy also pointed out that the "security guarantees" Ukraine received in 1994 had not worked.

Crimea should not have been abandoned back then, Zelensky emphasized – "just as the Ukrainians did not abandon Kyiv, Odessa, or Kharkiv after 2022." Russia must end this war, which it itself started. "And I hope that our combined strength with America and our European friends will force Russia to a genuine peace," wrote Zelensky, who said he is already in Washington. A meeting with US President Trump is planned there today, which will also be attended by European allies.