Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who he referred to as "the stinking Kiev b*****d," is "trying to derail the settlement of the conflict."
"He wants war. Well, now at least he'll have to stay in hiding for the rest of his worthless life," Medvedev said in a post on X.
His statement follows Zelenskyy's meeting with President Donald Trump in Kyiv, where Trump offered Ukraine security guarantees for a period of 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan.
Negotiators are still searching for a breakthrough on key issues, however, including whose forces would withdraw from which areas in Ukraine and the fate of Ukraine's Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, one of the largest in the world.
Trump noted that the monthslong U.S.-led negotiations could still collapse.
"Without security guarantees, realistically, this war will not end," Zelenskyy told reporters in voice messages responding to questions sent via a WhatsApp chat.
Ukraine has been fighting Russia since 2014, when the latter annexed Crimea and Moscow-backed separatists took up arms in the Donbas, a vital industrial region in eastern Ukraine.
Details of the security guarantees have not become public, but Zelenskyy said Monday that they include how a peace deal would be monitored as well as the "presence" of partners.
Zelenskyy didn't elaborate, but Russia has said it won't accept the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine.
Trump on Monday had "a positive call" with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X. The two leaders had also spoken shortly before Trump's talks with Zelenskyy on Sunday as Trump tries to steer the countries toward a settlement.
Later, to reporters, Trump similarly characterized the call as "a very good talk" and said, "We have a few very thorny issues, as you can imagine" in the negotiations to end the war.
"If we get them resolved, you're going to have peace," he added.
Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Trump is pushing Ukraine to seek a comprehensive peace agreement and not demand a temporary respite for its military through a ceasefire.
Putin has insisted on a full settlement before any truce.
In Monday's call, Putin told Trump that Ukraine attempted to attack the Russian leader's residence in northwestern Russia with long-range drones almost immediately after Trump's Sunday talks with Zelenskyy.
The attack "certainly will not be left without a serious response," Ushakov said, adding that Moscow will now review its negotiating position.
Zelenskyy denied the Russian claim of an attack, describing it as an attempt to manipulate the peace process. He said it was "another lie" and came about because Moscow is unnerved by progress in peace efforts.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Ukraine launched an attack on Putin's residence in the Novgorod region overnight from Sunday to Monday using 91 long-range drones.
"I don't like it. It's not good," Trump said of the alleged attack on Putin's home, confirming the Russian leader informed him of it during their call Monday morning.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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