Zelenskyy Says 'Won't Accept' Peace Deal Between Trump And Putin Without Ukraine's Involvement
Ukraine President Zelenskyy has said that he would not accept any peace talks negotiations that don't include Ukraine in the talks.
After President Donald Trump abandoned three years of US policy and announced that he would likely meet soon with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a peace deal, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he would not accept any negotiations about Ukraine that do not include his country in the talks.
Zelenskyy said that it was “not very pleasant” that Trump spoke to Putin, however, he said that the main issue was to “not allow everything to go according to Putin’s plan.” “We cannot accept it, as an independent country, any agreements (made) without us,” Zelenskyy said as he visited a nuclear power plant in western Ukraine.
Similarly, European governments also demanded a seat at the table.
According to an Associated Press (AP) report, Trump’s shift in approach appeared to position Putin as the key figure in ending the conflict while potentially sidelining Zelenskyy and European governments in any peace negotiations. The Ukrainian leader recently warned that such a move would be “very dangerous.”
Putin has faced isolation from the West since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him, accusing the Russian leader of war crimes.
Trump’s announcement created a major diplomatic upheaval that could herald a watershed moment for Ukraine and Europe. However, while speaking to the press on Friday, he said that he believes Putin wants peace as well. "...I believe that President Putin, when I spoke to him yesterday, wants peace. I think he would tell me if he didn't. I think he would like to see peace..."
#WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, "...I believe that President Putin, when I spoke to him yesterday, wants peace. I think he would tell me if he didn't. I think he would like to see peace..."
— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2025
(Video: US Network Pool via Reuters) pic.twitter.com/zIuckeHHLS
However, Russian officials and state-backed media sounded triumphant after Wednesday’s call between Trump and Putin, which lasted more than an hour.
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On Thursday, Trump while speaking to reporters was asked whether Ukrainians would have a seat at the table, and he responded “of course they would”. Trump said, “I mean, they’re part of it. We would have Ukraine, we have Russia, and we’ll have other people involved too.”
During his conversation with Trump on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said the US president expressed his intention to speak with both the Russian and Ukrainian leaders simultaneously. "He never mentioned in the conversation that Putin and Russia were a priority. Today, we trust these words. For us, it is very important to maintain the support of the United States of America," Zelenskyy stated.
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