President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine has criticised President Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff for saying that Russia’s referendums in the four Ukrainian regions it partially or completely occupies were legitimate.
Witkoff had added that the referendum demonstrated that “the overwhelming majority”; wanted to be “under Russian rule”;.
The Ukrainian president said Witkoff’s comments “are very much in line with the messages of the Kremlin.”;
Zelenskyy said that he hoped that over time, the US negotiator and others in the White House would gradually come to see that the Russian leadership was insincere.
The US announced on Tuesday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to “eliminate the use of force”; in the Black Sea after parallel talks in Saudi Arabia.
However, Russia has insisted that a maritime ceasefire would start only if it received sanctions relief on agricultural exports.
Russia, as it appears, would be unwilling to relinquish the Ukrainian territories it is currently occupying, including the Kursk region.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said that the US was reviewing the Russian conditions to the Black Sea ceasefire deal.
Russia and Ukraine have been at war since 2022 and Trump had during his presidential campaign vowed to end the war within his 100 days in office if elected the President.
Since assuming office, the US leader has been working towards achieving this goal.
