Ukraine has urged the United States to pressure Russia into ending its invasion, saying Washington’s ceasefire agreement with Iran demonstrated the success of American “decisiveness”.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on social media: “American decisiveness works. We believe it is time for sufficient decisiveness to force Moscow to cease fire and end its war against Ukraine.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky echoed those comments, writing: “Ukraine has always called for a ceasefire in the war waged by Russia here in Europe against our state and our people, and we support the ceasefire in the Middle East and the Gulf that paves the way for diplomatic efforts.”

The Kremlin said it hoped a new round of talks with US and Ukrainian delegations would be possible after Tehran and Washington agreed a two-week ceasefire. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “We hope that in the foreseeable future they will have more time and more opportunities to meet in a trilateral format. We look forward to this.”

The war in the Middle East had suspended US-led efforts to end the four-year Ukraine war.

Several rounds of US-led talks have failed to bring the warring sides closer towards an agreement. Moscow is demanding sweeping territorial and political concessions from Kyiv that Zelensky has ruled out as tantamount to capitulation.

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US Vice President JD Vance said the Ukraine war was proving “the hardest” to solve. Speaking during a visit to Budapest, he said Washington would “keep on working” to find a solution and insisted there had been “significant progress”. He also criticised European leaders, saying “they don’t seem particularly interested in solving this particular conflict”.

Ukrainian military teams to remain in Middle East

Zelensky said Ukrainian military teams helping Middle East countries counter Iranian drone attacks would stay in the region. Kyiv says it has deployed more than 200 military personnel with expertise in downing drones to the region since Iran began retaliatory drone attacks across the Middle East in response to US and Israeli attacks.

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“Ukrainian expert military teams will continue to work in the region to help further develop security capabilities,” Zelensky wrote on social media. “The situation in this region has global implications – any threats to security and stability in the Middle East and the Gulf amplify challenges for the economy and the cost of living in every country.”

Zelensky reiterated readiness to pause strikes on Russian infrastructure if Moscow halted its long-range drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian power plants and grid. “Ukraine tells Russia once again: we are ready to respond in kind if the Russians stop their strikes. It is obvious to everyone that a ceasefire can create the right preconditions for agreements,” he wrote.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022 has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions, making it the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.

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