Trilateral negotiations between Ukraine, the US, and Russia have reached an impasse, partly because US President Donald Trump wants to sign a peace treaty and a document on security guarantees for Ukraine simultaneously. Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this in an interview with CNN, as reported by UNN.
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According to him, this was the main disagreement between the allies regarding the sequence of steps to end hostilities.
Trump wants to sign a peace agreement with Russia and an agreement with the US and European countries that provides security guarantees for Ukraine, meaning everything at once, preferably during a grand ceremony that would mark the end of the war.
But Zelenskyy advocates a different approach: security guarantees must first be agreed upon and ratified by the US Congress. According to him, this would give Ukrainians confidence that they can rely on allies in the future, as Ukraine has been let down too many times in the past.
The second "stumbling block" during peace talks was security guarantees, particularly the question of how Ukraine's allies would react if Russia attacked again in the future.
Zelenskyy spoke frankly: he is constantly being convinced that the Kremlin will not start another war after the settlement of the current military conflict. But such thoughts are not an argument for the Ukrainian president.
There are good things in these security guarantees, that's true. But I want a very specific answer: what our partners will be willing to do if Putin comes again. That's what Ukrainians want to hear.
Recall
The European Parliament supported new security guarantees for Ukraine and stricter restrictions for Russia. It recognized Russia and Belarus as fully responsible for the war in Ukraine and called for increased sanctions. MEPs also demand that Russia immediately cease hostilities, withdraw troops, and release deported people.