KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hopes that Europe and the U.S. will join peace talks. He emphasized that any meaningful peace discussions over Ukraine’s conflict with Russia should involve his country. During a joint press conference with Moldova’s President Maia Sandu, Zelenskyy made his position clear.
Zelenskyy argued that Ukraine must be an active participant for peace talks to succeed. He added that while there is no set framework yet for the talks, involvement from all key stakeholders was critical. The Ukrainian president specifically pointed to the importance of Europe’s participation, due to Ukraine’s future European Union membership aspirations.
Zelenskyy Speaks on Trump’s Potential Role in Ending the War
Zelenskyy also noted that newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump could play a role in ending the war. He expressed hope that Trump would involve Ukraine in the discussions if meaningful progress was to be made. Without Ukraine’s input, Zelenskyy said, peace efforts would likely fail.
The president highlighted Russia’s unwillingness to end the conflict while stressing Ukraine’s desire for peace. The statements came after Trump had previously promised to end the war quickly upon taking office. However, his aides have since suggested that a deal could take several months.
Putin’s Conditions and Zelenskyy’s Decree Against Talks
In the same conference, Zelenskyy addressed a potential obstacle: Putin’s interest in meeting with Trump about Ukraine. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed interest in discussions with Trump to help resolve the war. However, Putin pointed out Zelenskyy’s 2022 decree preventing direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Zelenskyy explained the reasoning behind his decree, saying it aimed to prevent Russia from finding alternative channels for negotiation. He revealed that Russia had been attempting to form such channels, which motivated his decision to introduce the order.
