The Daily Populous Wednesday February 18th, 2026 day edition
Authored by pravda.com.ua and submitted by meadowmistling

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said it is "not fair" that US President Donald Trump continues to publicly call on Ukraine, rather than Russia, to make concessions for the sake of peace.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Axios

Details: Zelenskyy argued that, although it may be easier for Trump to put pressure on Ukraine than on Russia, a path to a lasting peace cannot be built by effectively giving victory to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Trump has in recent days twice said that the responsibility for making concessions lies with Zelenskyy.

Quote: "I hope it is just his tactics and not the decision."

Details: Zelenskyy also thanked Trump for his peace efforts and said that his discussions with US negotiators – Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner – do not involve the kind of pressure Trump uses publicly.

"We respect each other," Zelenskyy said, adding that he is "not such a person" who easily gives in to pressure.

Amid changes in the Russian delegation, now led by Putin's adviser Vladimir Medinsky, Zelenskyy said he feared the Russian side would try to return to its starting point in order to buy more time for Moscow on the battlefield.

He added that, like Putin, Medinsky often likes to philosophise about the "historical roots" of the war: "We don't have time for all this sh*t. So we have to decide, and have to finish the war."

Zelenskyy also said that military talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi had been more productive.

He believes the sides largely agreed on a US-led mechanism to monitor a ceasefire using drones, if one is reached.

Ukraine wants European countries to be involved in this process as well, but Russia is opposed to this.

Background: On 17 February, delegations from Ukraine, the US and Russia in Geneva concluded the first day of talks on both political and military areas. The groups will continue their work on the morning of 18 February, with statements from the sides expected afterwards.

Locksmith997 on February 18th, 2026 at 07:31 UTC »

Abusing victims is kinda his thing.

yowszer on February 18th, 2026 at 06:17 UTC »

Didnt Trump give Putin a 3 week ultimatum like 6 months ago and then chicken out?

Chazzwozzers on February 18th, 2026 at 06:08 UTC »

It must be tiring for this guy to attempt to be diplomatic to someone who has practically zero understanding of what diplomacy actually is.