Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the largest concession the international community has made regarding Russia is that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle remain free. He made the comments in an interview with Politico on 14 February, as reported by Ukrainian Pravda.
Speaking about signals he has received from the United States, Zelenskyy said he was urged to consider compromises with Russia. “There are some signals from the American side, from President Trump. They say, 'Look, this is the time for compromises, you can make some steps forward.’
“We made a lot of compromises. Putin and his friends, they are not in prison. This is the biggest compromise that the world has made already," he said.
Ukraine agreed to ceasefire, but Putin refused
Zelenskyy added that US President Donald Trump had proposed a ceasefire and temporarily freezing the war. Ukraine agreed to an unconditional halt to hostilities, but, according to Zelenskyy, Putin refused.
He emphasized that pressure on the Kremlin is needed to end the conflict. “Yeah, of course he will refuse… Today one reason, tomorrow another reason, etc. We need pressure on him… Putin will stop this war if real pressure is on him," he said.
ICC warrant remains unenforced despite Putin's international travel
An International Criminal Court arrest warrant was issued in 2023 for Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Despite this, multiple countries have allowed him to enter without enforcing the warrant, and he has continued to travel internationally without being detained.
