Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that if US President Donald Trump wants to keep his promise to end the war in Ukraine, he should only do it if Ukraine takes part in peace negotiations. Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy stressed that Kyiv must be included in any meeting meant to solve the ongoing conflict. A peace deal, he warned, would never be possible without Ukraine’s involvement.
Trump, who took office on Monday, had promised to end the war within his first 24 hours in office during his campaign, though aides have since said it could take months. Zelenskyy voiced skepticism over the details of any deal, particularly as Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown little enthusiasm for ending the war. He said Ukraine wants peace, but Russia’s intentions are still unknown.
Speaking earlier in an interview that aired later the same day, Zelenskyy stated that he still believed Trump wants to end the war but acknowledged the challenges that this process poses. Of the details of any potential peace plan, Zelenskyy said, “Even as does not know.”. He further stated that whether Putin would sit down to negotiate would determine the future of peace, indicating that the Russian leader has no desire to stop the war.
Zelenskyy also demanded his European allies’ participation in any peace talks while stressing that the involvement of Ukraine is desired to be part of the future peace negotiations. On the other hand, Putin reportedly wished to sit down with Trump. Zelenskyy still said that banning negotiations with Putin since 2022 was appropriate in order to stop Moscow from searching for secondary means of reaching some factions of Ukraine.
Relatedly, Zelenskyy further disclosed that Ukraine intended to sell coal to Moldova, which has been under the grip of energy crisis fueled by Russia’s recent actions.
