The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with several French media, including AFP, said that the whole world, including Ukraine, seeks Russia’s participation in the upcoming peace summit. According to Zelenskyi, this decision is necessary to achieve significant results in the negotiations.
“The majority of the world says that Russia must be represented at the second summit, otherwise we will not get any important results. Since the whole world wants it at the table, we cannot oppose it,” Zelenskyy said.
Prior efforts and future plans
In June, Kyiv organized a peace summit in Switzerland with the participation of about 90 countries, mostly allies. Russia was excluded from this process, and China refused to participate, despite its diplomatic weight and proximity to Moscow.
Ukraine recently announced that it will develop a plan by November that will become the basis for the upcoming summit. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has set a condition for the negotiations that Ukraine withdraw from the territories annexed by Russia in September 2022 and abandon its desire to join NATO. These requirements are unacceptable for Ukraine and the West.
Moscow expressed a desire to receive more information about the summit before deciding whether to participate, but said it considers the current Ukrainian government an illegitimate interlocutor.
China’s role and calls for action
Zelensky called on China to put pressure on Russia to end the war, which has been going on for two and a half years. According to him, China has the potential to influence Moscow, although Beijing has not yet done so publicly.
“If China wants to, it can force Russia to stop this war. China belongs to the world and is an influential power,” Zelenskyy emphasized. “I don’t want her as a mediator, I want her to put pressure on Russia,” he added.
In the view of the West, Beijing, by supporting Russia economically, is helping it to make the transition to a military economy, supplying components that Moscow lacks due to Western sanctions. At the same time, China did not condemn the Russian invasion, declaring that it supports the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine.
Restrictions on the use of weapons and a call to partners
Zelensky criticized the restrictions imposed by Western allies on the use of delivered weapons for attacks on military facilities on the territory of Russia. He noted that these restrictions hinder the effective defense of Ukraine.
“The main challenge is that we cannot use (Western) weapons to stop the enemy,” Zelenskyy said. He expressed hope that he would be able to convince the allies to allow the Ukrainian army to use weapons at its discretion. “Unfortunately, our partners are still afraid of this,” he added, pointing to their desire to avoid escalation.
At the same time, Zelensky noted that violation of the conditions for the use of weapons may jeopardize further assistance. “If we use our partners’ weapons without their consent, they can say, ‘We’re not going to give you anything else,’ and that’s a risk,” he explained.
Aid shortage and political challenges
Zelenskyi expressed regret that the aid provided is not enough to effectively confront Russian forces. He emphasized that Ukraine needs more support to stop the aggressor.
In his interview, the President of Ukraine also noted that the uncertainty associated with the elections in the USA is a “risk” for Ukraine. The US is a key ally, providing significant military and economic aid to Kyiv. The positions of Democrats led by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who support Ukraine, may change depending on the election results.
Zelenskyi emphasized that it is necessary to maintain a dialogue with both parties in the US in order to ensure stable support regardless of the election results.
The President of Ukraine expressed confidence that there will always be a majority that will support Ukraine. He emphasized the importance of international solidarity in resisting aggression and protecting the country’s sovereignty.
