Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed on Wednesday to continue fighting and achieve his objectives “militarily” unless a settlement is reached, while his American counterpart Donald Trump hinted at imposing new sanctions on Moscow if it does not seek peace in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday he sees no signs that Moscow wants to end the war it started more than three years ago, during his meeting in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, who confirmed Europeans’ readiness to provide security guarantees to Kyiv as part of any peace agreement.

This comes on the eve of the French capital hosting a summit of the “Coalition of the Willing” supporting Ukraine, followed by phone talks between its leaders and Zelensky with the American president.

Putin told reporters in Beijing, “I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel… Let’s see how the situation develops. If this (agreement) does not happen, we must resolve all our issues militarily.”

His remarks came at the end of a visit to China that included attending a large military parade alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Moscow and Kyiv held three rounds of talks in Istanbul from May to July without any progress in ending the war ongoing since February 2022.

Recently, hopes raised by the summit between Donald Trump and Putin in Alaska, and then between the American president, Zelensky, and European leaders in Washington, have faded in achieving a diplomatic breakthrough.

Putin indicated that his forces “are advancing on all fronts” while the Ukrainian army, according to him, lacks the capabilities to carry out “major offensive operations.”

He confirmed his readiness to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if he comes to Moscow.

In Washington, Trump threatened “things will happen” if he is not satisfied with Putin’s decisions, following his expression of “great disappointment” with the Russian leader.

During a meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, Trump said, “I have no message for President Putin, he knows my position and will make a decision one way or another,” adding, “Whatever his decision, we will either be happy or unhappy. And if we are unhappy, you will see things happen.”

European Guarantees

Earlier on Wednesday during his visit to Copenhagen, the Ukrainian president said he hopes Trump will push for new sanctions on Russia and increase pressure on it.

Zelensky arrived in Paris in the evening to participate on Thursday in a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing,” expected to focus on the security guarantees Kyiv wants.

Upon arrival, he said, “Unfortunately, we have not yet seen signs from Russia that it wants to end the war,” expressing confidence that the United States and European countries will support Kyiv in “increasing pressure on Russia to move towards a diplomatic solution.”

Macron, upon receiving Zelensky, confirmed, “We Europeans are ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine and Ukrainians once a peace agreement is signed.”

He added, “The contributions prepared, documented, and confirmed this afternoon at the level of defense ministers, in complete secrecy, allow me to say: it is done, this preparatory work is complete and will now be politically approved.”

On Thursday, Zelensky will meet in Paris with key allies such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and leaders of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

The summit is scheduled to start at 10:30 AM (08:30 GMT) with several leaders present in Paris, while others will participate via video. It will be followed by a call with Trump and then a press conference, according to the Élysée Palace.

Kyiv hopes to secure the deployment of a European military force to prevent any future Russian attack or guarantees aligned with NATO’s mutual defense clause.

“Old Warnings”

Russia insists on demands for peace, mainly Ukraine’s concession of five regions Moscow declared annexed and Kyiv abandoning its desire to join NATO.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that his country wants international recognition of the annexed territories as a condition for “lasting” peace.

In an interview published on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website, he said, “For peace to be lasting, the new reality on the ground must be recognized … and formalized according to international law.”

His Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Spehga quickly denounced the “old warnings” proving that “Russia (…) shows no readiness to enter serious negotiations.”

On the ground, at least nine people were killed and seven injured on Wednesday in the city of Kostiantynivka near the front line in eastern Ukraine, due to artillery shelling and drone attacks, according to regional governor Vadym Vilashkin.

Russia also launched a nighttime attack with more than 500 drones and missiles, mainly targeting western Ukraine, causing power outages for 30,000 homes, according to authorities.

Zelensky condemned the “impunity” Putin displays, calling on his allies to pressure the Russian economy.

In Russia, a man was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Kursk region, according to acting regional governor Alexander Kinshtain on Telegram.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced control over “about half of the territory of Kupiansk,” one of the cities facing Russian advances, and presented video evidence.