The National Times - Zelensky says lasting peace 'achievable'

Zelensky has been scrambling to contain the fallout from the explosive meeting with Donald Trump last week that saw him kicked out of the White House after being scolded by the US leader and his vice president in front of news cameras.

The United States said Wednesday it had "paused" intelligence sharing with Ukraine, a blow to Kyiv's military capacity that came after Washington suspended military aid to the country.

The moves have cemented fears in Kyiv and Europe that Ukraine could have to accept a settlement on terms favourable to Moscow or risk losing US support entirely.

"We all want a safe future for our people. Not a temporary ceasefire, but an end to the war once and for all. With our coordinated efforts and U.S. leadership, this is entirely achievable," Zelensky wrote Wednesday on social media following a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

A day earlier he said he was "ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer" and that he wanted to "make things right" with Trump.

In an address to US Congress on Tuesday , Trump read aloud from a letter he said he had received from Zelensky in which he said he was ready for peace talks.

The Republican has made ending the war one of his top foreign policy priorities, though has yet to outline his plan for a deal both sides could endorse.

Zelensky wants security guarantees from the United States to deter Russia from invading once again in the future.

Moscow, meanwhile, has refused to rule out giving up any of the land it has captured in its three-year military campaign, and has been buoyed by the suspension of military aid.

- 'Generally positive' -

The Kremlin welcomed news of the Ukrainian leader's letter to Trump.

"This approach is generally positive," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in answer to a question from AFP.

However, the Kremlin has repeatedly thrown doubt on whether it would hold talks with Zelensky.

On Wednesday, Peskov cited a decree passed by Zelensky that rules out direct negotiations with Putin.

The Ukrainian leader has since said on multiple occasions he would be willing to meet Putin -- but only after Kyiv and its Western allies agree a common negotiating position.

Moscow has also accused Zelensky of not being a legitimate leader, citing the expiration of his five-year mandate following his 2019 election as president.

Under Ukrainian martial law, elections are banned during wartime.

Zelensky's key European backers have supported the suspension of any vote amid Russia's full-scale offensive, though Trump has falsely claimed the Ukrainian leader is widely unpopular at home and called on him to hold elections.

- Intelligence pause -

Outgoing German Chancellor Scholz on Wednesday gave his backing to Zelensky's calls for a truce in the sky and at sea as a first step towards ending the fighting.

"The Chancellor welcomed the Ukrainian president's willingness to start negotiations as soon as possible. Both agreed on the importance of the American president's leadership," Scholz's office said in a statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron is mulling a joint visit to Washington alongside Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to present a united European front to Trump, the French government said Wednesday.

Trump is pushing for Europe to do more for Ukraine's defence.

CIA director John Ratcliffe said Wednesday the United States had "paused" intelligence sharing with Ukraine after the dramatic breakdown in relations between Kyiv and the White House.

The Ukrainian presidency declined to comment.

On the battlefield, Russia's forces said they had captured another small village in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.

The gains come as AFP analysis of US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) data showed Moscow's advance had slowed in February after a series of accelerating territorial gains throughout the winter.

N.Roberts--TNT