Ukraine wants peace "as soon as possible", President Volodymyr Zelensky said today, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reports.
Zelensky said this in his evening video address before a bilateral meeting with the United States next week and amid criticism from Washington that he does not want to negotiate a peace agreement with Russia.
"There was very intensive work at various levels with (US President Donald) Trump's team throughout the day, with a large number of conversations. The topic is clear: peace as soon as possible," the Ukrainian president announced.
A little earlier, Trump said that it was easier for him to negotiate with Russia than with Ukraine.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibikha, meanwhile, reported that he had a "constructive conversation" on the phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with whom they discussed an upcoming meeting in Saudi Arabia.
"Ukraine wants the war to end, and the US leadership is an essential factor in achieving lasting peace. We also discussed ways to develop our bilateral cooperation," Sibikha wrote in "Ex".