Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine would not accept any U.S.-Russia agreements regarding its future without Kyiv’s involvement and emphasized that Europe should be included in negotiations to end the war.
His comments followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and remarks from Trump’s defense secretary suggesting Ukraine could not join NATO and may not regain its pre-2014 borders. Zelensky stressed the importance of Ukraine and the U.S. agreeing on a peace plan before engaging Russia. He also expressed concerns about Trump’s upcoming meeting with Putin, though he downplayed its significance.
As the war nears its third anniversary, Russia continues to control a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, with slow ongoing advances in the east, while Kyiv struggles with manpower shortages.
