President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that excluding Ukraine from the talks between the United States and Russia over the war in Ukraine would be "very dangerous." The head of state said this in an interview with the Associated Press, UNN reports.
Details
According to Zelenskyy, Russia is not interested in negotiations to end the war or concessions that the Kremlin views as a defeat, especially given its military superiority on the battlefield.
Ukraine's President suggested that US President Donald Trump could force Russian President Putin to the negotiating table by threatening sanctions targeting Russia's energy and banking system and continuing to support the Ukrainian military.
I think these are the most immediate and important steps,
Zelenskiy's statement came after Trump said his administration was in "serious" talks with Moscow about a possible end to the war.
They can have their own relations, but talking about Ukraine without us is dangerous for everyone,
According to him, the Ukrainian side is in contact with the Trump administration, but these talks are currently being held at a general level. He expressed hope that personal meetings would be held in the near future to discuss the agreements in detail.
"We need to work harder on this," Zelensky said.
Zelensky recalled that during a phone conversation with Trump during the election campaign, they agreed to discuss the necessary steps to end the war after Trump's victory.
I think that first of all, we have to have a meeting with Trump - this is important. And this is what everyone in Europe wants, by the way
He believes that after the talks with Trump, it will be necessary to move on to the format of negotiations with Russia. He believes that the US, Ukraine and Russia should be at the negotiating table, and preferably the European Union.
To be honest, the EU's voice should also be there. I think it would be fair and effective. But what exactly would that look like? I don't know
Recall
The United States wantsUkraine to hold presidential and parliamentary elections by the end of the year, provided a truce with Russia is reached, according to Trump's special envoy Keith Kellogg.