Ukraine war: Zelenskyy warns partners not to let Putin 'deceive' them on ceasefire

12 March 2025, 23:17 | Updated: 13 March 2025, 04:58

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Ukraine's partners to make sure Russia doesn't "deceive" them over a ceasefire.

After breakthrough talks between Ukrainian and US officials in Saudi Arabia, Kyiv said it was ready to accept a proposed 30-day ceasefire with Russia.

But his nightly address on Wednesday evening, a day after the Jeddah summit, President Zelenskyy said, "we must move toward peace" - but issued a warning to allies.

"The key factor is our partners' ability to ensure Russia's readiness not to deceive but to genuinely end the war," the Ukrainian leader said. "Because right now, Russian strikes have not stopped."

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The focus has now switched to Vladimir Putin's response to the proposed ceasefire. President Trump said the US had received "some positive messages" adding: "We have people going to Russia right now".

However, he warned Moscow: "In a financial sense, yeah we could do things very bad for Russia, would be devastating for Russia."

European defence ministers, meeting in Paris, said now was the time for Moscow to show it was serious about ending the war.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey was among those attending, and had a direct message for Russia's president: "I say to president Putin, over to you, you want to talk, prove it."

Mr Healey called on Russia to accept the ceasefire and end the war, adding, "the pressure is now on Putin".