Through three years of wartime leadership, Ukraine’s president has mostly played weak hands wisely. But his approach has fallen flat with the Trump administration.

After Trump called Zelensky a “dictator” and began talks with Russia, even some of Zelensky’s harshest domestic critics have begun defending him.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday called for "real, lasting peace" this year as European leaders gathered for a summit in Kyiv on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion.Russia said it would only halt the invasion if a deal can be reached that "suits" its interests and accused Europe of wanting to prolong the fighting.