Zelensky had a conversation with Rutte — what was discussed

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that he had a good and meaningful conversation with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte. In particular, they discussed Rutte’s meeting with Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Keith Kellogg.

Zelensky said it on Wednesday, February 19.

Zelensky had a conversation with Rutte

"I had a good and meaningful conversation with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte," Zelensky stated.

During his negotiations with Rutte, Zelensky shared details of his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, during which the leaders discussed Turkey’s role in providing security guarantees.

"In this process, Ukraine needs a broad representation of countries: Europe, including the UK and Turkey, and the US," Zelensky noted.

For his part, Rutte informed about his meeting with General Keith Kellogg, who is President Trump’s Special Representative. The Head of State added that important messages coincide with Ukraine’s goal to achieve guaranteed peace, not just a temporary ceasefire.

"There must be confidence that Putin will not return with his war in a few months or years," Zelensky added.

The parties also discussed further contacts between Ukraine and its partners and coordinated further steps.

"We cannot let Putin deceive everyone again. Before any potential negotiations, all partners must clearly understand that strong security guarantees are a priority for achieving a lasting peace," Zelensky emphasized.

As a reminder, Trump stated that Ukraine needs to hold the presidential election because Zelensky allegedly has a popularity level of 4%.

The Former Prime Minister of the UK Boris Johnson commented on the statement of the President of the United States Donald Trump about the allegedly low rating of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and the need for elections. According to him, Trump’s comment should have "shocked the Europeans to action".