Overview

• Zelensky said Ukraine cannot wait for a final peace treaty and argued a ceasefire would be sufficient to trigger security guarantees.
• He dismissed talk of Korean or Finnish models for ending the war and said Ukraine’s circumstances require a different approach.
• Zelensky confirmed a meeting with President Trump at the UN to discuss security guarantees and sanctions, and said he is ready to meet Putin though he believes Putin is not ready.
• Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Europe will not factor Russian interests into the design of guarantees, described readiness for potential military escalation, and noted the plan would take effect only after a Russia–Ukraine agreement without a Russian veto over the format.
• Russia’s Foreign Ministry reiterated that any deployment of NATO member forces to Ukraine would be categorically unacceptable and risk sharp escalation, and Senator Alexey Pushkov said any settlement requires Russia’s consent, referencing the earlier Trump–Putin meeting in Alaska.