President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said a "combination of strength and diplomacy" is needed to end Russia's war in Ukraine and ensure that such conflicts do not happen again in the future.
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In his nightly video message on Sunday, the President of Ukraine said, "We understand very clearly that there is no possibility of diplomacy without force."
This is the only way to ensure lasting peace and prevent a repeat of the kind of war Moscow is waging against Kiev, he said.
Reuters reported that Zelensky has been relentlessly calling for a "just" end to the war. He is also lobbying the United States and NATO allies to supply arms to Kiev and help force Russian President Vladimir Putin to opt for peace. Ukraine is only ready for 'honest' diplomacy, he said.
Ukraine has long appealed to its allies to use long-range Western weapons to strike deep into Russian territory. They believe that Moscow's infrastructure can be weakened in this way.
Zelensky called for stepped up diplomatic efforts on Sunday after Donald Trump defeated his pro-Ukraine rival Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the US presidential election.
During the campaign, Trump repeatedly said he could end the war in Ukraine 'within 24 hours'. But he never said anything about how he would do it. Trump spoke to Putin on Thursday and advised him not to prolong the war, a source told Reuters. However, Kiev said that they were not informed about Trump's phone call.
Some officials believe the nearly two-and-a-half-year-old war in Ukraine is entering its final phase. For the past few days the Russian forces have been advancing with the greatest rapidity. At the same time, Trump, who was not in favor of this war, was elected president of the United States.