Ukraine will not accept any negotiations without its participation – Zelenskyy
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine would not agree to any peace talks without its direct participation.
The head of state said this during a visit to the Khmelnytskyi NPP, Censor.NET reports.
"I make this very clear to our partners: any bilateral talks about Ukraine—I'm not talking about other topics, they are free to discuss those—any bilateral talks about Ukraine without us will not be accepted," Zelenskyy said.
According to him, negotiations should first take place in the Ukraine-US format, and only after a concrete plan to end the war is developed can we talk about the possibility of contacts with Russia.
Speaking about his recent phone conversation with Donald Trump, Zelenskyy said that it was "really good, almost an hour long." Trump suggested that Putin seems to want peace, but the Ukrainian leader was skeptical of this statement.
In addition, Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of European countries' participation in the negotiations, as they are part of the war just like Ukraine. According to him, 80% of the costs of the war are currently borne by Ukraine together with Europe, while the US contribution is 20%.
"The main thing today is that everything does not go according to Putin's plan. He wants to have bilateral negotiations with the United States," Zelenskyy emphasized.
Trump spoke with Putin and Zelenskyy
US President Donald Trump had a phone conversation with Putin on the morning of February 12, 2025.
Subsequently, Zelenskyy and Trump held a meeting.
According to Trump, the conversation with Zelenskyy "went very well."
The White House said that the United States seeks to reach a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine and end the war.
According to The Telegraph, the US is no longer interested in ensuring Ukrainian and European security.
