Zelenskyy’s Repeated Acceptance of Russian Ceasefire Proposals Has Failed to Stop War

Former U.S. Ambassador John Herbst warned on Monday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accepted every ceasefire proposal offered by Russia since March, but Vladimir Putin has repeatedly refused to commit to terms that would end the fighting.

In a televised panel discussion on “National Report” the morning after President Donald Trump spoke publicly with Zelenskyy about renewed momentum toward a possible deal, Herbst stated that negotiations with Moscow have restarted roughly six weeks ago and gaps between Washington and Kyiv have narrowed significantly. However, he emphasized that Putin has made no concrete concessions to halt the conflict.

“Zelenskyy’s concessions concern the war,” Herbst said. “Putin talks pie in the sky because he does not want to end the fighting.”

The former ambassador also highlighted Russia’s demands tied to the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, warning that any deal rewarding Russian aims could lead to further territorial losses for Ukraine. “If you make the wrong deal now, Putin is going to gobble up a lot more of Ukraine,” he stated.