BEIJING, August 20. /TASS/. The US is exerting pressure on Ukraine and European countries, which have in fact come to accept that a ceasefire is no longer a requisite for negotiations, the China Daily writes in its editorial.
"Although everyone seemed to keep the mood delicately cordial during the marathon meetings at the White House on Monday to keep the focus on the collective goal of ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the disagreement between the United States and its European allies on how the goal should be realized remains," the newspaper notes, commenting on a recent meeting between US President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Vladimir Zelensky and European leaders.
According to the China Daily, the fact that Trump "announced he is arranging a trilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelensky and himself implies that Ukraine and the European countries might have been pressured to soften their stance on territory, as well as a ceasefire that they once took as a requisite for any talks."
A trilateral meeting is being arranged after agreeing to include the territorial issue in future discussions, which "indicates that both Ukraine and its European allies accept that a ceasefire is no longer a requisite for negotiations."
The paper also notes that "while the path to resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict remains complex and filled with disagreements, it is clear that dialogue and negotiation offer the most viable route forward." "Talking — even when difficult — is far preferable to confrontation," the China Daily concludes.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump held a meeting with Zelensky and European leaders in Washington. He also called Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov, the two leaders spoke in favor of the continuation of direct talks between Moscow and Kiev and discussed the possibility of increasing the level of delegations.