Zelenskyy calls for more ceasefire pressure on Russia after ‘massive’ Kyiv attack – Europe live

Not enough strong pressure on Russia, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says

Responding to another round of questions, Zelenskyy stresses once again that Ukraine, unlike Russia, agreed to president Trump’s request for an unconditional ceasefire.

He says that Ukraine has done as much as possible to progress in talks with the US by signing a memorandum on minerals, after removing provisions that would contradict its constitution.

He says Ukraine does not “see strong pressure on Russia now” nor new sanctions against Moscow, despite its unwillingness to progress the talks.

“We believe that with greater pressure on the Russian Federation, we will be able to bring our sides closer,” he says.

He adds that any further compromises can be discussed once the ceasefire is agreed.

But he notes that after over three years of fighting a war of aggression with thousands killed, the willingness to sit down for talks with the aggressor is already a compromise.

The Ukrainian president says that agreeing to the ceasefire would demonstrate “political goodwill” from all sides.

He repeats that Ukraine’s focus is on ending the war, and stresses the importance of returning the Ukrainian children abducted by Russia back home.

Zelenskyy also specifically calls on the US to play a substantial role in guaranteeing peace as he says that the outcome of London talks should be now on president Trump’s desk for consideration.

Key events

Zelenskyy’s press conference with SA’s Ramaphosa – snap analysis

Rachel Savage

The atmosphere at Zelenskyy’s joint press conference with President Cyril Ramaphosa was mostly serious, perhaps paying heed to the loss of life in Ukraine overnight.

South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy address the media following their meeting at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa. Photograph: Themba Hadebe/AP

It warmed up towards the end of the question and answer session, when Zelenskyy switched from Ukrainian to English to joke with Ramaphosa about whether he had managed to answer the multiple questions posed by journalists.

Zelenskyy refused to be drawn on what Ukraine was willing to compromise on, returning again and again to the need for more pressure on Russia to agree to a comprehensive, unconditional ceasefire.

Ramaphosa was more cautious in his language, calling on “both parties” to agree to a ceasefire and saying the war had negatively affected both Russia and Ukraine. However, he later said that Ukraine should be commended for agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire, saying it was “a positive signal that should be embraced.”

Jakub Krupa

Let’s quickly go to our Southern Africa correspondent Rachel Savage for her take on this press conference.

‘Clear message from Kremlin: Russia has no real interest in peace,’ Danish PM says

In the last half hour, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen also reacted to the overnight strikes on Kyiv, saying in her social media that the strikes sent “a clear message from Kremlin: Russia has no real interest in peace.”

Here is what she said:

“Kyiv was brutally attacked by Russia again last night.

A clear message from the Kremlin: Russia has no real interest in peace.

Peace cannot be negotiated under fire. Denmark stands with Ukraine against this brutality.”

Closing the press conference, South Africa’s Ramaphosa highlights the Ukrainian willingness to talk about an unconditional ceasefire, which he says could be “a key ingredient in a negotiation process.”

He gets asked about the US threat to withdraw from the peace process, and says that “it is for the US to decide on the role they want to play,” but adds “we believe the US has an important role to play, as does Europe,” and others, like China and Brazil.

And that concludes their press conference, with Zelenskyy confirming earlier that he will cut the visit short to return to Ukraine, with foreign ministry officials picking up the rest of the programme.