The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has rejected the idea western countries are putting pressure on Kyiv to enter peace talks with Russia. It came after NBC reported US and European officials had spoken to the Ukrainian government about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail to end the war. On Saturday, Zelenskiy denied Ukraine’s war with Russia had reached a “stalemate”, pushing back at suggestions western leaders were lobbying for peace talks. “Time has passed, people are tired … But this is not a stalemate,” Zelenskiy told a press conference in Kyiv with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. “No one among our partners is pressuring us to sit down with Russia, talk to it, and give it something.” This week, Ukraine’s commander in chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, told the Economist: “Just like in the first world war, we have reached the level of technology that puts us into a stalemate. There will most likely be no deep and beautiful breakthrough.” But Zelenskiy said that in 2022, it had been widely believed that Ukrainian troops were in a stalemate, before they made gains. “A few military tricks, and you remember, the Kharkiv region was liberated. We have no right to give up. What’s the alternative? What, we need to give away a third of our state? This will only be the beginning. We know what a frozen conflict is, we have already drawn conclusions for ourselves. We need to work more with air defence partners, unblock the sky, give our fighters the opportunity to carry out offensive actions.” With the war now in its 20th month and Ukraine struggling to gain ground in its counteroffensive, Zelenskiy has routinely met western leaders in an attempt to stave off fatigue over the conflict. Zelenskiy said the war between Israel and Hamas had also drawn attention away from Ukraine, and said this was “Russia’s goal”. “Of course, it’s clear that the war in the Middle East, this conflict, is taking away the focus,” Zelenskiy said. “We have already been in very difficult situations when there was almost no focus on Ukraine,” he said, but added: “I am absolutely sure we will overcome this challenge.” Ukraine’s backers, including the US, have maintained they are ready to support Kyiv with military and financial support for as long as it takes to defeat Russia. Zelenskiy’s comments came as Von der Leyen visited Kyiv to discuss Ukraine’s progress towards joining the 27-member bloc. Kyiv received EU candidacy status several months after Russia invaded last year, but analysts have warned it faces a long and difficult path to membership. “You have reached many milestones,” Von der Leyen told Zelenskiy. “Reforming your justice system. Curbing the oligarchs’ grip. Tackling money laundering and much more,” she said. “We should never forget you are fighting an existential war, and at the same time you’re deeply reforming your country,” she added. She said she was “confident” Ukraine would progress with the accession process when these reforms were implemented. The EU commission has proposed an additional €50bn ($54bn) in funding for Ukraine until 2027, Von der Leyen said. Almost all EU member states back further long-term aid for Kyiv, with only Hungary and Slovakia holding out. The commission now has until Wednesday to submit a report on how much progress Ukraine and other EU hopefuls Moldova and Georgia have made before a summit of the bloc in December.