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Russia complicating end to war, says Zelensky ahead of Trump meeting
Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire is complicating efforts to end the war.
“We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation,” the Ukrainian president said in a statement on X.
On Monday, Zelensky will travel to Washington DC, where US President Donald Trump has said he will urge the Ukrainian leader to agree to a peace deal.
Trump said he wants to bypass a ceasefire in Ukraine and move directly to a permanent peace agreement after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a major shift in position, the US president wrote on Truth Social following Friday’s summit that this would be “the best way to end the horrific war”, as ceasefires often “do not hold up”.
Following a phone call with Trump after the summit, Zelensky called for a real, lasting peace, while adding that “the fire must cease” and killings stop.
He later outlined Ukraine’s requirements for “a truly sustainable and reliable peace”, including a “credible security guarantee” and the return of children he says were “abducted from occupied territories” by Moscow.
Trump had said before the summit on Friday that he wanted a ceasefire “rapidly”, having threatened Russia with economic sanctions if one was not agreed.
Ukraine’s main demand has been a quick ceasefire before talks on a longer-term settlement, with Trump reportedly telling European leaders beforehand that his goal for the summit was to obtain a ceasefire deal.
Putin reportedly presented Trump with a peace offer that would require Ukraine withdrawing from the Donetsk region of the Donbas, in return for Russia freezing the front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Russia claims the Donbas as Russian territory, controlling most of Luhansk and about 70% of Donetsk. It also illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, eight years before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Trump, who has previously said any peace deal would involve “some swapping of territories”, is said to have relayed the offer to Zelensky in their call following the summit.
Just days ago, Ukraine’s president ruled out ceding control of the Donbas – composed of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions – saying it could be used as a springboard for future Russian attacks.
The BBC’s US partner CBS has reported, citing diplomatic sources, that European officials were concerned Trump may try to pressure Zelensky into agreeing to terms that may have been discussed at Friday’s summit when they meet on Monday.
CBS quotes sources as saying that Trump had told European leaders that Putin would make “some concessions”, but failed to specify what they were.
In an interview with Fox News following the US-Russia summit in Alaska, Trump was asked what advice he had for the Ukrainian leader, to which he replied: “Make a deal.”
He added: “Russia’s a very big power and they’re not.”
Trump had previously threatened “very severe consequences” if Putin did not agree to end the war, last month setting a deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire or face tough new sanctions, including secondary tariffs on its allies.
But the two left Friday’s talks with no agreement reach, despite both insisting progress had been made.
On Saturday, Putin described the summit as “very useful” and said he had been able “set out our position” to Trump.
“We had the opportunity, which we did, to talk about the genesis, about the causes of this crisis,” the Russian president said. “It is the elimination of these root causes that should be the basis for settlement.”
A senior Russian diplomat later told BBC Newshour that the summit had been “a very important building block for further efforts” to end the war.
Russia’s first deputy permanent representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, said that everybody who wanted peace “should be satisfied by the outcome”. He wouldn’t say if Putin should now meet Zelensky.
European leaders have reacted with caution to the outcome of the Trump-Putin meeting, seeking not to criticise the change of direction despite their long-held support for a ceasefire.
However, Trump notably said the US was prepared to provide security guarantees for Ukraine – a key request of Zelensky’s and the “coalition of the willing”, a group of nations, including the UK, France and Germany, that have pledged to protect peace in Ukraine once it is achieved.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called this “significant progress”.
The group will hold a call on Sunday afternoon before Zelensky visits the White House on Monday.
European leaders – including Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen – said “the next step must now be further talks including President Zelensky”.
“It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory,” they said, adding: “International borders must not be changed by force.”
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised Trump’s efforts to end the war, saying they had “brought us closer than ever before”, but said the “path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without” Zelensky.
In Kyiv, Ukrainians have described feeling “crushed” by the scenes from Alaska.
“I understand that for negotiations you shake hands, you can’t just slap Putin in the face when he arrives,” Serhii Orlyk, a 50-year-old veteran from Donetsk, said.
“But this spectacle with the red carpet and the kneeling soldiers – it’s terrible, it makes no sense.”
Monday’s White House meeting will be Zelensky’s first since he was hectored by Trump and his Vice President JD Vance in February.
They appeared to reconcile in April, in what the White House described as a ‘very productive’ 15-minute meeting on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral.
[BBC]
Building on its success in seizing major narcotic stocks in 2025, the Navy continued to support the “A Nation United” National Mission in 2026. In continuation of these efforts, during an
operation conducted on the high seas south of Sri Lanka, the Navy apprehended eleven (11) suspects aboard two local multi-day fishing trawlers suspected of drug smuggling.
Based on shared information, by the Sri Lanka Navy and Police, this special operation was conducted off the southern coast, deploying the Navy‟s Offshore Patrol Vessels. The operation
resulted in the interception of a multi-day fishing trawler suspected of smuggling narcotics, and the apprehension of five (05) suspects on board.
During further operations in the same area, naval units seized another multi-day fishing trawler (01), along with communication equipment and six (06) additional suspects, also believed to be involved in drug smuggling.
This morning (25 Jan 26), the two intercepted fishing trawlers, along with fourteen (14) sacks laden with suspected narcotics and the suspects, were brought to the Dikovita Fisheries Harbour.
An expert examination by the Police Narcotic Bureau confirmed that the fourteen (14) sacks contained more than 184 kilograms of heroin and over 112 kilograms of ‘Ice’ (crystal methamphetamine).
The Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara, the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, and the Inspector General of Police, Priyantha Weerasuriya, inspected the narcotics at the Dikovita harbour.
The Deputy Minister of Defence said that the current administration has initiated several projects for national development. As a flagship initiative, under the directives and guidance of the President, and under the supervision of the
Ministry of Defence, well-coordinated anti-narcotic raids have been launched.
This effort, part of “A Nation United” National Mission, involves the tri-forces, police, and all intelligence agencies working together under a coordinated plan to ensure that drug smugglers have no opportunity to bring narcotics into the country, he opined. He further stated that despite the national disaster situation, the state machinery, including the tri-forces, the police, and the public at large, remains united in rebuilding the nation, no room will be left for drug trafficking, which poses a severe threat to national security and public safety. Those
who engage in or support drug trafficking, under the cover of fishing activities, will find no escape, he added.
The Deputy Minister also reaffirmed that the tri-forces, police, and all law enforcement agencies are fully committed to their duty of suppressing this menace.
The Deputy Minister of Defence reported that, throughout 2025, a series of highly successful operations were conducted leading to numerous arrests. This was achieved through close coordination and mutual cooperation among the tri-services, the police, the Special Task Force, Police Narcotics Bureau, local law enforcement and international agencies. He noted that this
same spirit of cooperation and commitment has continued into 2026, resulting in the seizure of a large stockpile of drugs.
On behalf of the Honourable President, he extended gratitude to all who contributed to these efforts, specifically acknowledging the Commander of the Navy, the Inspector General of Police, the Police Narcotic Bureau, and the crews of the Navy’s Offshore
Patrol Vessels.
Moreover, the Deputy Minister declared that drug smuggling has become a national crisis, fueled by youth involvement and social crime. With borders secured under the “Nation United” National Mission, he warned traffickers to cease operations and urged users to abandon the destructive habit.
The Deputy Minister urged the public to report suspected drug smugglers to law enforcement via the hotlines 1818 or 1997 and also commended the role of media institutions and journalists in raising public awareness about the dangers of narcotics through responsible reporting.
Meanwhile, the two (02) multi-day fishing trawlers, along with a haul of narcotics, eleven (11) suspects, and communication equipment, were handed over to the Police Narcotic Bureau for
further investigation and legal proceedings.
Tanzania 131 in 38.3 overs (Acrey Pascal 55; Nihar Parmar 4-30, Nikhil Pol 3-23) lost to Japan 136/1 in 28.2 overs (Nihar Parmar 53*, Taylor Waugh 47) by nine wickets
[Cricbuzz]
New Zealand 135 in 36.2 overs (RS Ambrish 4-29, Henil Patel 3-23) lost to India 130/3 in 13.3 overs (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 40, Ayush Mhatre 53) by 7 wickets [DLS Method]
[Cricbuzz]
Three arrested with narcotics valued at Rs123 million at BIA
Navy intercepts 02 narcotics-laden trawlers with 11 suspects in southern seas
U19 World Cup: Japan defeat Tanzania by nine wickets
U19 World Cup: Ambrish’s four-fer powers India to third straight win
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