Ukraine is engaged in peace talks with Russia mediated by the Trump administration, and the latest reports indicate that pressure on Ukraine is building.
Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko reportedly stated that achieving a peace deal with Russia may require President Volodymyr Zelensky to give up some areas that Russia has taken since the beginning of the brutal war.
The BBC reported on Friday that Klitschko stated, "One of the scenarios is...to give up territory. It's not fair. But for the peace, temporary peace, maybe it can be a solution, temporary."
In Ukraine's situation, fairness isn't even being considered. With the United States bled dry and European nations balking at funding Ukraine to the tune of hundreds of billions a year, Ukraine must make a peace deal sooner rather than later.
Russia also has a strong motivation to sue for peace as it has been brutalized by the war, losing thousands of men and untold amounts of equipment that Russia is struggling to replace due to its failing economy.
Both sides must make concessions to end the war, but both sides are being predictably difficult. Russia holds more cards than Ukraine, but it is Ukraine that is refusing to give up a single square mile of the territory conquered by Russia, which is arguably an insignificant area.
Russia had hopes of seizing major areas quickly at the beginning of the war, but failed horrifically, and the war became a grinding war of attrition, with many of Russia's gains coming at immense cost in lives and equipment.
President Zelensky's refusal to make any concessions is bogging down peace talks, which have frustrated U.S. President Donald Trump, who wanted the war to end within weeks of assuming office back in January.
While both sides continue to make no concessions, people continue to die. On Thursday, Kyiv was hit by missiles and drones from Russia, killing at least 12 people in the biggest attack on the capital this year.
For Ukraine, the question is will it be worth it to continue fighting in this brutal war or would it be better to concede a small amount of territory that wasn't worth the cost of conquering?
With the U.S. scaling back financial and military support for Ukraine, the clock is ticking. It's up to Zelensky and Vladimir Putin to make the right decision for their people and end the war that has caused over one million killed or injured.
Trump and Zelenskyy met this past week ahead of Pope Francis's funeral, and the sentiment seems to be that a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is "very close."
This happened as Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow on Friday to discuss Washington’s peace plan, although details of that meeting weren't being made readily available.
According to a Truth Social post, Trump claimed that "most of the major points are agreed to” between Russia and Ukraine. The White House is now working on a meeting between Ukrainian and Russian representatives to settle the remaining issues and finally sign a deal.
Despite loud demands from Ukraine that Crimea be returned after being annexed in 2014, hopes are high that the end is finally here.
