Zelensky: Russia Rejects Peace, Not Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia, not Ukraine, is blocking efforts to end the war after a Russian overnight attack on Monday, Oct. 19, involving 16 ballistic missiles and more than 200 drones left at least 550,000 families without power.

In a Telegram post, Zelensky responded to US President Donald Trump’s recent claim that the Ukrainian leader “doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did.” Zelensky said Kyiv had supported every partner initiative to end the war and every ceasefire proposal.

“Ballistic missiles, Shaheds, and killings are once again the responses from Russia,” he wrote.

Zelensky says Russia rejects de-escalation

Zelensky said Ukraine had “never wanted this war” and had welcomed “literally every” effort by its partners to end it on fair terms. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin was unwilling to end the war or take even “any de-escalation steps,” adding that Ukraine’s partners had personally encountered Russian refusals.

The comments followed Trump’s accusation that Zelensky did not want the war to end. Trump made the claim while defending his decision to waive sanctions on Russia, saying he was negotiating peace and did not want to push Moscow away from the bargaining table.

Zelensky argued that easing pressure on Moscow while restricting Ukraine’s air defenses ignores the reality of the war. “When the supply of missiles for Ukrainian air defense is blocked, and Russia receives easing or postponement of sanctions, this is, unfortunately, a denial of reality by partners,” he said.

Other Topics of Interest

Zelensky Offers Halt Russian Oil Strikes in Exchange for Patriot Missiles

As tensions between Ukraine and the US deepen, President Zelensky says Kyiv could stop targeting Russian refineries if Washington supplied more Patriot interceptors.

Russian attack hits Kyiv and energy sites nationwide

Zelensky said Russia launched 16 ballistic missiles in a “deliberate attack” on Kyiv and the Kyiv region, alongside more than 200 drones, including jet-powered Shahed drones. The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 269 drones in total, leaving one person killed and eight injured in Kyiv.

The attack damaged energy and other infrastructure, as well as a medical clinic, a school, a metro station, and residential buildings. Kyiv also received no advance warning from partners before the ballistic attack, Zelensky said. A previous Kyiv strike had likewise raised concerns in Ukraine after explosions were reported before air-raid alerts sounded.

Russia also targeted energy facilities in Vinnytsia, Volyn, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Kharkiv, Ternopil, Odesa, and the Rivne regions, Zelensky said. More than 10 energy facilities were damaged, leaving at least 550,000 families without electricity. Repair crews were working at the sites, he added.

Zelensky urged partners to “call things by their names,” identify Russia as the aggressor and help Ukraine protect lives. “The war continues, and it continues only because of Russian strikes and the Russian desire to prolong this war,” he said.