Czech President Reveals Ukraine’s Willingness for Hard Choices in Peace Deal

Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic, said that documents related to achieving peace include a number of painful concessions that Ukraine must make and is ready to make. He made the statement during a joint press conference following a meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

"I believe that Ukraine has done a great deal on the path toward proposing a solution that could be acceptable. I believe that there are also a number of painful concessions that Ukraine must make and is ready to make, provided that this leads to peace,” Pavel said.

The Czech leader also pointed to the need for joint economic and political pressure on Russia in order to conclude peace agreements.

At the same press conference, Zelensky accused Moscow of deliberately delaying the peace process.

"The delay in signing and ending the war is coming from Russia,” Zelensky said.

Ukrainian Delegation Heads to United States

The Ukrainian negotiating delegation is traveling to the United States for a diplomatic meeting with representatives of US President Donald Trump. Zelensky announced the new round of talks, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

"The Ukrainian team is actively working with representatives of the US president these days. There will be meetings of our Ukrainian representatives in the United States. The Ukrainian delegation is currently on its way to the US,” Zelensky said.

He expressed hope that the talks would also clarify Russia's position on the US peace proposal.

Previously, Trump blamed Zelensky for the lack of a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv mediated by Washington. According to Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to conclude a deal.

"I think that Ukraine is less ready to make a deal,” Trump said.

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow agrees with Trump's assessment. According to him, the situation for the Ukrainian authorities is deteriorating "day by day.”

Putin previously said that achieving peace in Ukraine requires eliminating the root causes of the conflict. Moscow insists, among other conditions, on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas, the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and on recognizing these territories and Crimea as part of Russia.