Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is prepared for a new biggest-diplomatic-mission-ever. He is starting the trip by hosting a meeting of European politicians in Tirana, Albania on Friday. After this, he intends to go to Rome. His personal ambition is to be present at the first mass of the newly elected Pope Leo XIV. Earlier this week, Zelenskyy had a fruitful phone call with the Pope. This constant exchange helped establish an optimistic tenor for his anticipated visit.
Zelenskyy’s diplomatic maneuvers come at a time of increased tensions with Russia. He recently spoke on the phone with former U.S. President Donald Trump, emphasizing the importance of understanding Vladimir Putin’s role in the ongoing conflict. Zelenskyy disagrees, convinced that a ceasefire agreement with Putin is the only acceptable outcome. Once that’s in place, more grassroots and local actors can work to figure out what’s required to make a lasting peace.
We would like to know on what basis these meetings with Putin would happen. He shared his firsthand experiences underlining the complexities at play in these possible interactions. Perhaps most importantly, I want you to know why it was my honor to meet with President Putin. We’re not going to agree on much, likely because of our fundamental understandings of the world, but the importance of finding a way to end the war cannot be overstated.
In a recent interview, Zelenskyy sounded optimistic that even Trump would join the European allies in placing sanctions on Russia. He too pointed out the deep political will on Capitol Hill to support those measures. He said, “I think you have President Trump on board for imposing sanctions, you have political will in Congress to push for the vote.”
The Ukrainian president reflected on the current diplomatic climate, expressing hope that recent frantic negotiations might lead Trump to recognize that Putin represents a significant barrier to achieving lasting peace. Here’s why Trump needs to think that Putin really does lie. And we should do our part. Don’t make this more five-alarm than it needs to be, to prove that it’s not us that is dragging feet,” he continued.
Zelenskyy is expected to be in Turkey on Thursday, even if Putin goes to the peace talks. He’s even planned a face-to-face meeting with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara. He stands prepared to board a plane to Istanbul on short notice if Putin decides to participate in talks. If Putin doesn’t go and he keeps playing these games, then that’s a pretty obvious indicator that he has no intention of ending this war.
Even with continued diplomatic efforts, Zelenskyy stressed the need for leadership to be present in any negotiations. Without explicit signals or a ministerial meeting from the great powers, he noted, this format can’t deliver. He pointed out that it is important to have high-level political dialogue before proceeding with any negotiations at the technical level.
Though three more stops await Zelenskyy on this unlikely diplomatic tour, he can be very hopeful. If it works out We don’t know what this week will bring. We have reached the point where we can no longer predict what’s going to happen a day from now,” he declared.