On the eve of a meeting with US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky set out Ukraine’s “red lines” for negotiations to end the war launched by Moscow, speaking to reporters on Saturday, December 27.
He said they include the occupied territories and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, on which Ukraine “will not legally recognize any changes under any circumstances.”
Zelensky noted that before any decisions are made, there will be public discussion through a referendum or via legislative changes.
At the same time, the Ukrainian president said one of the main issues is security guarantees, as “today Russia demonstrated how it responds to talks” between Kyiv and Washington on ending the war.
“They launched mass attacks on Ukraine. On the way to peace talks, Russia is showing its answer,” Zelensky said.
He added that security guarantees must be such that Ukraine is protected.
Zelensky said Ukraine “supported President Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire” and “made many different compromises.” “Ukraine is doing everything it can to stop this war. Our number one priority is to end the war,” he said. At the same time, “Russia is demonstrating a desire to continue the war,” he argued.
In Zelensky’s view, if the war is not ended as quickly as possible, it will pose a risk to all countries, because Russia will not stop in Ukraine “despite any agreements, despite any eloquent messages.”
US President Donald Trump will host Volodymyr Zelensky on December 28 in the resort city of Palm Beach, Florida.
According to Politico, topics on the table include security guarantees for Ukraine, a proposal to establish a demilitarized zone in the east, management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and control over territory in Donbas.
In a December 26 interview with Politico, the US president said that Zelensky “has nothing” until Trump himself approves it.
