President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, photo: Office of the President
Ukraine will not accept any bilateral peace talks without its own participation and that of its European partners. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, commenting on his conversation with former US President Donald Trump.
On Thursday, 13 February, during a conversation with journalists, Zelenskyy said that his conversation with Trump lasted almost an hour and was frank.
“I don’t trust Putin’s words”
According to Zelenskyy, Trump said that “Putin wants peace and wants the war to end”.
“He said, ‘I know you do too. I told him that you are talking to Putin as a leader of the state, and I think of him as an enemy. And I think I’m in a bigger reality, so I don’t trust him,” Zelenskyy explained.
The President stressed that Ukraine was ready for negotiations, but they should be fair and, most importantly, involve European allies.
Ukraine’s security is a top priority
The Ukrainian leader stressed that without security guarantees from the United States and Europe, any agreements would be useless.
“Everyone wants to make Putin end the war fairly for Ukraine, but I don’t believe it’s that easy. Security guarantees are our priority. And we do not see these guarantees without the United States,” he said.
Zelenskyy also noted that Trump would like to organise talks between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at the same time. However, Ukraine believes that such talks without Europe would be unconstructive.
Europe’s role in the negotiations
The President emphasised that 80% of the burden of the war today is borne by Ukraine and Europe, so their presence at the negotiating table is critically important.
“Europe has been very supportive. America is by far the largest donor, but Europe has also made a significant contribution. We cannot ignore its role,” he stressed.
Zelenskyy also added that there is concern in Europe that the US has not yet given clear signals about its role in future negotiations.
“Everyone understands that the US-Ukraine-Russia format is possible, but where is Europe in it? We must act together, only then will we be able to resist Putin,” the President concluded.
Zelenskyy also noted that the date of his personal meeting with Trump has not yet been agreed upon, but such talks are a priority for Ukraine.
