Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russia’s decision to change the leadership of its delegation for upcoming peace talks in Geneva appeared to be an attempt to delay progress.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy said he was surprised by Moscow’s decision to appoint presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky to head its team, replacing military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov, who led previous discussions in Abu Dhabi.
“The surprise is that Russians changed the leader of the group,” Zelenskyy said. “They want to postpone the decisions.”
He expressed hope that Washington would not allow Moscow to restart negotiations from the beginning because of the new delegation.
“I hope that our American partner will not give such possibility to Russians to play with them,” he said.
Security Guarantees and Foreign Troops
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine was close to finalising a framework for long-term security guarantees with international partners.
“We are very close to finalising this project,” he said, noting that the United States had proposed guarantees lasting 15 years. Kyiv, however, is pushing for a longer commitment of 20 years or more.
“We are pushing for 20 years plus, 30 or even 50 years,” he said, adding that investors required long-term stability assurances.
The Ukrainian leader reiterated that foreign troops would be necessary after a ceasefire to deter renewed Russian aggression.
“After ceasefire… we are ready to put troops and the Coalition of the Willing… they have to put troops somewhere,” he said, referring to potential deployments on land, in the air and at sea.
He noted that Russia opposes such an arrangement and questioned why Moscow would resist if it did not intend to resume hostilities.
“If they don’t want to continue the war… why are they afraid?” he asked.
No Territorial Concessions
Zelenskyy rejected the idea of exchanging Ukrainian territory as part of a settlement.
“We can’t withdraw from our territory or exchange our territory, one piece to another piece of our territory,” he said. “It’s something a little bit crazy.”
He added that territorial issues affect not only land but also the lives of residents, saying that around 200,000 people live in the areas concerned.
Geneva Talks Ahead
Ukrainian, Russian and American delegations are scheduled to meet in Geneva on 17 and 18 February, as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to broker an agreement to end the war, now in its fourth year.
Zelenskyy said he hoped the upcoming trilateral meetings would be substantive.
“We truly hope that the trilateral meetings next week will be serious, substantive, helpful for all of us,” he said at the Munich Security Conference. “But honestly, sometimes it feels like the sides are talking about completely different things.”
He added that Ukraine was being asked “too often” to make concessions, while accusing Moscow of attempting to delay decisions by changing its lead negotiator ahead of the talks.
Recent rounds of negotiations in Abu Dhabi were described by the parties as constructive but did not produce major breakthroughs.
Zelenskyy called for stronger action from Ukraine’s allies, including increased sanctions on Russia and continued weapons supplies, to ensure that Moscow engages seriously in negotiations.
Asked which member of the U.S. negotiation team he preferred, Zelenskyy responded: “God bless the President of the United States.”
Kazakhstan and Iran have agreed to accelerate cooperation on transport corridors, giving Kazakhstan access to key Iranian ports in a move aimed at str...
A U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war has been signed electronically by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud ...
Thailand is reviving plans for one of its most ambitious infrastructure projects in decades, a proposed $30 billion “Land Bridge” that would conne...
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has delivered a stark message to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies, warning that some member stat...
North Korea has withdrawn its ambassador to the United Kingdom just one month after he arrived in London, in a move linked to British sanctions on a c...
Kazakhstan and Iran have agreed to accelerate cooperation on transport corridors, giving Kazakhstan access to key Iranian ports in a move aimed at strengthening trade routes and reducing reliance on transit routes through neighbouring countries.
Thailand is reviving plans for one of its most ambitious infrastructure projects in decades, a proposed $30 billion “Land Bridge” that would connect the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea and offer an alternative trade route to the busy Strait of Malacca.
An exiled Russian artist has been shot dead in Poland days after he carried out a one-man protest against Vladimir Putin, featuring a caricature of the Russian President as a baby held by the Soviet-era dictator Joseph Stalin.
North Korea has withdrawn its ambassador to the United Kingdom just one month after he arrived in London, in a move linked to British sanctions on a children's camp, according to reports.
Donald Trump has said the U.S. will resume bombing Iran if Tehran doesn't "behave," at the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. Earlier, the U.S. President criticised Israel for its tactics against Hezbollah, saying it was unnecessary to bomb entire apartment buildings to tackle militants.
U.S. President Donald Trump said a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Gulf has been signed by the U.S. and Iran, though details have yet to be made public and both countries said a permanent truce is yet to be negotiated.
A cyber extortion group has claimed it stole more than a terabyte of data from Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk after the company allegedly refused to pay a $25 million ransom.
Pakistan's heavy reliance on imported energy was laid bare by the U.S.-Iran conflict, which disrupted regional supplies, drove up costs and exposed vulnerabilities in the country's energy security. However, a proposed peace agreement now offers hope for economic relief.
American technology company Snap has launched its first augmented-reality (AR) glasses for consumers, marking a major push into wearable computing as tech firms race to redefine personal devices in the AI era.
Thailand is reviving plans for one of its most ambitious infrastructure projects in decades, a proposed $30 billion “Land Bridge” that would connect the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea and offer an alternative trade route to the busy Strait of Malacca.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has delivered a stark message to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies, warning that some member states are falling short on defence commitments and signalling a tougher U.S. approach as the alliance prepares for its upcoming summit in Ankara.
North Korea has withdrawn its ambassador to the United Kingdom just one month after he arrived in London, in a move linked to British sanctions on a children's camp, according to reports.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has told U.S. President Donald Trump to "stay out" of Brazil's upcoming election, pushing back against comments made by the American leader about the country's political situation.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged new attacks overnight on Thursday. Missiles struck Kyiv while Ukrainian drones hit a major oil refinery in Moscow, just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders on efforts to end the war.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment