Ukraine is not currently conducting any negotiations with Russia, including secret ones, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with Polish media. He added that “the war cannot be ended without diplomacy,” but “any arrangements with the Russians cannot be made without Ukraine.”
President Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky gave an interview to four Polish editorial offices: TVN24, Onet, “Rzeczpospolita” and “Krytyka Polityczna”.
Zelensky: We are not conducting any negotiations with Russia
Zelensky was asked whether any talks are currently underway with Russia about a ceasefire or a peace agreement.
He replied that “Ukraine is not currently conducting any negotiations with Russia.” – Also classified, because we really care about the trust of our partners. We are already taking risks, because in the European Union we have friends in quotation marks who are looking for opportunities to find good relations with Russia or are balancing between Ukraine and Russia, the Ukrainian president continued.
– Thank God, there are not so many countries like this, but partnership cooperation is very important to us. From the first days of the war, we managed to create such a partnership and I am sure that without such an alliance we would not have persevered. And you know, like in life, it's hard to build something, but it's even harder to maintain it. That's why there are no talks, he told journalists.
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– Of course, any arrangements with the Russians cannot be made without Ukraine. And that is why Ukraine should react very sharply if a country conducts negotiations with Russia behind our backs. We should know about this and we should have consistent information with our allies, he emphasized.
Zelensky: You can't end the war without diplomacy
– We undoubtedly believe that the war cannot be ended without diplomacy. Fewer people will suffer, less everything will be lost this way. If we stop this diabolical history in this way, even if the other side does not want peace, we can win peace through force. This happens when partners come together and force the other side to start a dialogue, he said.
– What should happen before we enter into any negotiations? Ukraine should receive security guarantees. This is number one and this is what everyone needs, including you. Everyone has already understood that Russia is the enemy and that it can attack any European country. They have a lot of strength for this and, unfortunately, this is their desire. This must be prevented from happening to Putin, Zelensky said.
Can the war end this year?
Zelensky was also asked whether he believed the war could end this year. He replied that Donald Trump “I really want to end the war.” – These are his claims, both public and private. And he is able to put pressure and influence on Russia. I am sure that Russia is afraid of the United States, it is China and is afraid of a united Europe, he said.
– When you ask if we can cease fire this year, I answer that we have to do everything to make it happen. But European Union it must be three times more pragmatic and must triple its (weapons) production. You have to produce to help Ukraine, but you also have to produce more for yourself, so that the Russians know that Europe is producing more, that Europe will be able to oppose them. You have to get ahead of Putin, he emphasized.
– Trump knows that this is about security guarantees for Ukraine and that he should press Putin for diplomacy. I think Trump can do it. And God forbid he would offer Ukraine real security guarantees. Real for us, for Europe and for Russians. And they will be real if Ukraine can defend itself and others if Putin goes to a new war, said Volodymyr Zelensky.
Main photo source: 24th Mechanized Brigade of Ukrainian Armed Forces