Zelenskyy speaks out about Trump's hasty peace plans
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US President Donald Trump has been informed of Ukraine's reluctance to surrender and freeze the war. Nevertheless, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced that the newly elected US leader wants to end the conflict as soon as possible.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in an interview with Le Parisien.
What does Volodymyr Zelenskyy think about Trump's peace plans?
Speaking to Le Parisien, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Donald Trump is aware of Ukraine's unwavering position on preserving its sovereignty and unwillingness to freeze the war. According to him, Ukraine will not agree to any concessions that could jeopardize its independence.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Trump, although he wants to resolve the conflict quickly, does not currently have access to all the necessary information. The President noted that full-fledged negotiations with the US President-elect are possible only after he officially takes office.
"At the moment, he is not yet in the White House and cannot have access to all the information: intelligence, the Department of Defense, certain diplomatic channels, and so on. Once he is there, we will be able to speak the same language, with the same level of information," he said.
Zelenskyy also added that the Ukrainian delegation is already working with President Donald Trump's teams.
"We will build relations with the new administration, as this will be our priority. The United States has been and remains our leading donor in this war. However, I want to emphasize that both Europe and the United States are equally important for Ukraine. We do not prioritize one over the other," he emphasized.
What is Volodymyr Zelenskyy's position on negotiations with Russia?
Zelenskyy also outlined the principles by which Ukraine can consider negotiations with Russia. He emphasized that no world leader has the right to negotiate with Putin without Ukraine. In addition, before sitting down at the negotiating table, Ukraine must strengthen its position through membership in NATO and the EU.
"I insist that no leader in the world has the right to negotiate with Putin without Ukraine. We have never delegated this mandate to anyone. We are the victims. It would be unfair for others to start dictating how our country should live. The French know what they want for themselves in France, Italians in Italy, and Americans in the United States. The same applies to Ukrainians. I don’t think we are in a weak position, but we are not in a strong one either. Are we in NATO? We don’t know. Will we be part of the European Union? Yes, in the future, but when? Sitting at the negotiating table with Putin under such conditions would mean giving him the right to decide everything in our part of the world. First, we need to create a model, an action plan, or a peace plan—call it whatever you like. Only then can we present it to Putin or, more broadly, to the Russians," the president elaborated.
Ukraine will not give up EU membership prospects for NATO
Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine will not abandon European integration, as it is the choice of the Ukrainian people. In his opinion, only NATO membership can guarantee long-term security for the country, as the current system of bilateral guarantees is not able to fully protect against new aggression.
"Who can guarantee that Putin won’t return to Ukraine? Which country will come to our aid with their planes and troops? All we have today are bilateral guarantees from our partners regarding military and financial support. But if Putin returns with his millions of troops, will we once again defend ourselves alone? Will we stand by and watch as our women and children die? This is not just a question of NATO membership; it is a matter of ensuring our own security," the president emphasized.
As a reminder, Donald Trump recently said how long it would take to rebuild Ukraine after the war.
Also, the newly elected US president said that there is "some progress" in ending the war in Ukraine.
