During the EU Summit in Brussels, European leaders stated that “no real negotiations are taking place at the moment” following discussions on Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

EU leaders expressed skepticism over whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is genuinely seeking to end the three-year-long conflict. According to an official EU statement, they had “a brief exchange of views” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who joined via video call. The statement noted that discussions covered “the situation on the ground in Ukraine and the ongoing U.S.-led consultations,” concluding that “no real negotiations are currently underway.”

The talks primarily focused on military and political support for Ukraine and lasted approximately two hours. Once again, Orbán refused to sign off on the conclusions regarding Ukraine, just as he did in the March 6 European Council meeting. However, the statement from the 26 other EU leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to supporting Ukraine both politically and militarily.

“The European Council calls on Russia to demonstrate genuine political will to end the war,” the document states—a statement that Orbán declined to support. The EU also reiterated its readiness to “further increase pressure on Russia,” either through new sanctions or stricter enforcement of existing restrictive measures.

Zelenskyy: Calls for Maintaining Sanctions on Russia

Speaking via video call at the EU Summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Russia to stop making “unnecessary demands” that delay the war’s resolution.

“Putin must stop making unreasonable demands that only prolong the war and start honoring his commitments to the international community,” Zelenskyy stated, stressing the need for continuous pressure on the Kremlin. “They give their word, and just hours later, it means absolutely nothing,” he added.

Zelenskyy also emphasized that sanctions against Moscow must remain in place until Russia withdraws its troops from Ukrainian territory and fully compensates for the damage caused by its aggression.