Ukrainian President Zelenskyy insists Ukraine must be involved in any peace negotiations with Russia, rejecting bilateral talks between Moscow and Washington without Kyiv's participation.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday Ukraine would not accept any bilateral agreement on its fate reached by Moscow and Washington without Kyiv's involvement, and called for Europe to have a seat at the table in negotiations to end the war.
The Ukrainian leader made the comments at a nuclear plant on his way to the Munich Security Conference, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke to Russian leader Vladimir Putin Zelenskyy and announced the start of negotiations.
"We, as an independent country, simply will not be able to accept any agreements without us," Zelenskyy told reporters.
The Putin call and remarks by Trump's defence secretary, who said Kyiv cannot join NATO or that a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is unrealistic, have caused alarm in Europe that the White House could seek to make a deal with Russia without them.
"Today it's important that everything does not go according to Putin's plan, in which he wants to do everything to make his negotiations bilateral (with the U.S.)," Zelenskyy said.
He said it was important for the United States and Ukraine to draw up a plan to end the war before talking to the Russian side. He has been pushing to meet Trump before Trump meets Putin, although the U.S. president said on Wednesday that he was expecting to meet Putin in the future, probably in Saudi Arabia.
Ukraine has said it is working on a Zelenskyy-Trump meeting, but nothing firm has been announced so far.
Zelenskyy said he did not discuss the matter of NATO membership during his phone call with Trump, though he said he knew that the United States was against the idea.
He also tried to play down the significance of Trump calling Putin before him on Wednesday, saying it did not look like a marker of Washington's real priorities but adding that it was nonetheless "unpleasant".
Ukrainians believe that Russia is not interested in ending the war and will not make any concessions despite the talks.
Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has criticized the U.S. administration for making early concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of potential Ukraine peace negotiations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has imposed sanctions against the country's former president Petro Poroshenko and several other individuals.
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen expressed hope on Wednesday (February 12) that the United States will continue supporting Ukraine. He made the remarks during a meeting of Ukraine's military allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
In Ukraine, a Russian missile attack on Kyiv early Wednesday morning resulted in at least one civilian death and three injuries.
The rise of the right – and far-right – parties in Europe is reshaping the political landscape of the continent. AnewZ’s Leyla Rahimli's report examines what is fuelling the resurgence of these parties in the upcoming election cycle in Europe.
Estonia’s navy is ready to act against ships threatening Baltic Sea infrastructure, even in international waters, a senior official said Thursday.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy insists Ukraine must be involved in any peace negotiations with Russia, rejecting bilateral talks between Moscow and Washington without Kyiv's participation.
Chinese tech stocks fell after reaching multi-year highs as AI-driven gains slowed. Traders locked in profits amid economic concerns, with Alibaba and Baidu retreating from their intraday peaks.
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are close to finalizing their border agreement, with only technical issues remaining. The deal aims to resolve long-standing disputes over roads, water resources, and territorial claims.
The Sarandí stream in Buenos Aires, Argentina, turned bright red on Thursday for unknown reasons, raising concerns among authorities and residents. The waterway, which flows into the Río de la Plata, is under investigation to determine the cause.
Elon Musk has called for the shutdown of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America (VOA), arguing that the U.S.-funded media outlets serve as government propaganda tools and waste taxpayer money.
Apple is reportedly working on a version of AirPods Pro with integrated cameras, set to launch as early as 2027, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. While the cameras won’t be featured in the upcoming AirPods Pro 3, the new tech aims to enhance AI-driven features and spatial audio integration.
Public sector strikes are causing major disruptions across Germany, including halted public transport in Frankfurt, as workers demand higher pay and better conditions.
Oxford researchers unveil a scalable quantum supercomputer capable of quantum teleportation, paving the way for next-gen tech with enhanced security and computational power.
The rise of the right – and far-right – parties in Europe is reshaping the political landscape of the continent. AnewZ’s Leyla Rahimli's report examines what is fuelling the resurgence of these parties in the upcoming election cycle in Europe.
Estonia’s navy is ready to act against ships threatening Baltic Sea infrastructure, even in international waters, a senior official said Thursday.
A car crashed into a crowd in Munich, leaving at least 28 people injured. Two of the injured are in serious condition.
Ukrainians believe that Russia is not interested in ending the war and will not make any concessions despite the talks.
A grenade explosion at a bar in Grenoble injured 12 people on Wednesday night. Authorities are investigating the incident.
The rise of the right – and far-right – parties in Europe is reshaping the political landscape of the continent. AnewZ’s Leyla Rahimli's report examines what is fuelling the resurgence of these parties in the upcoming election cycle in Europe.
Estonia’s navy is ready to act against ships threatening Baltic Sea infrastructure, even in international waters, a senior official said Thursday.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy insists Ukraine must be involved in any peace negotiations with Russia, rejecting bilateral talks between Moscow and Washington without Kyiv's participation.
Chinese tech stocks fell after reaching multi-year highs as AI-driven gains slowed. Traders locked in profits amid economic concerns, with Alibaba and Baidu retreating from their intraday peaks.
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are close to finalizing their border agreement, with only technical issues remaining. The deal aims to resolve long-standing disputes over roads, water resources, and territorial claims.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment