Zelensky warned that agreements with Putin to end the invasion of Ukraine would be “suicidal” for Europe and criticized EU leaders for “hugging” the Russian president

Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that it would be “suicide” for Europe to offer concessions to the Kremlin to stop the invasion of Ukraine, after Moscow demanded the West begin direct talks to end the war.

The Ukrainian president also criticized some European leaders, without specifying whom he was referring to, for “persistently” pushing Ukraine to compromise, and also criticized some for having warm relations with Vladimir Putin.

“We need enough weapons, not support in negotiations. Hugging Putin won’t help. Some of you have been hugging him for 20 years, and things are only getting worse,” Zelensky said.

Kyiv is now increasing pressure on its allies to bolster support for its fight against Russia following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.

Trump has boasted throughout his campaign that he could end the conflict within hours and has repeatedly criticized U.S. aid to Kyiv, while Zelensky rushed yesterday to congratulate the Republican on his victory in an attempt to woo him.

Putin has demanded Ukraine cede much of its territory in the east and south as a precondition for peace talks, while Kyiv has repeatedly ruled out ceding any land to Moscow in exchange for peace.

Ukraine and many in the West fear that any settlement that rewards Putin will only embolden the Kremlin leader and lead to more aggression.

Speaking to European leaders at a summit in Hungary, Zelensky criticized those who pressured him to give in to some of Putin’s harsh demands.

“There was a lot of talk about the need to give in to Putin, to retreat, to make some concessions,” Zelensky said. “This is unacceptable for Ukraine and suicidal for the whole of Europe.”

Zelensky today met Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron among other European leaders as he works tirelessly to shore up support for his country’s war effort amid fears US aid could be cut off under the Trump administration.

His comments came after UN chief Antonio Guterres was criticized for appearing to bow while shaking Putin’s hand.

The footage also showed Guterres hugging the dictator’s ally, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan.

Russia demanded on Thursday that Kyiv’s allies enter into talks with Moscow if they want to stop brutal attacks on Ukrainians.

The head of the Russian Security Council, Sergei Shoigu, said that the West faces a choice: start direct negotiations with Moscow or continue the “destruction” of the population of Ukraine.

“Now that the situation in the theater of operations is not in Kyiv’s favor, the West is faced with a choice,” Shoigu said at a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Defense of other former Soviet republics.

“Continue to finance (Kyiv) and exterminate the Ukrainian population or accept the current realities and begin negotiations,” said the former defense minister.

These were among the first comments by a Russian official since Trump’s election as US president was confirmed.

Zelensky previously stated that without US help, Ukraine would lose the war.

Its outnumbered and outgunned army has already retreated into the eastern Donbass region, where Russian troops have been slowly advancing for months.

Moscow on Thursday said its troops had seized control of Kremennaya Balka, a village of fewer than 50 people before the war in the industrial Donetsk region where Ukrainian defenses have been pushed back time and time again.

Meanwhile, Ukraine faced another night of aerial bombing across the country, including the capital Kyiv, ahead of what could be the country’s harshest winter yet.

Ukrainian media have reported that authorities in the Donetsk region are preparing to announce mandatory evacuations from seven more villages in the region that the Kremlin claims were part of Russia in 2022.

Moscow’s overnight drone attack on Ukraine damaged buildings in the southern Black Sea city of Odessa, where AFP journalists saw residents inspecting destroyed cars and homes at dawn.

According to local officials, at least three people were killed as a result of air attacks overnight and on Thursday – one each in the Kherson, Sumy and Zaporozhye regions.

The air force said it shot down 74 Russian drones in 11 different regions out of 106 drones launched by Moscow across Ukraine.