Kyyiv: In a significant diplomatic development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly stated that Kyiv will not accept any peace deal between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin if Ukraine is not directly involved in the negotiations.
Zelensky’s remarks came after Trump revealed that he had a "lengthy and productive" phone conversation with the Russian president about ending the war in Ukraine. "We will not accept any agreement without Ukraine's involvement," Zelensky emphasized, adding that "everything should not proceed according to Putin's plan" and that "talks about Ukraine must include Kyiv."
Zelensky also stressed the importance of the European Union’s participation in these discussions, a stance that the EU and the UK have previously supported.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has confirmed that Ukraine will be included in any peace talks. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated, "Ukraine will, in one way or another, be part of the negotiations." Peskov underscored that while the U.S. and Russia will engage in bilateral discussions, there will also be talks involving Ukraine.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed concerns that Trump’s efforts to negotiate a peace deal would betray Ukraine’s military forces, asserting that NATO should increase its defense spending. Similarly, UK Defense Secretary John Healey reaffirmed that "talks about Ukraine will not take place without Ukraine," while NATO’s Mark Rutte emphasized that any agreement must guarantee Russia will not annex more Ukrainian territory in the future.
Trump’s revelation about his conversation with Putin has drawn significant attention. On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump described the discussion as "lengthy and very productive," stating that they had agreed to start negotiations to end the war. He also mentioned plans for reciprocal visits between U.S. and Russian officials and immediate engagement between their respective teams.
The U.S. president also spoke with Zelensky on the same day, calling the conversation "very good" and asserting that, like Putin, the Ukrainian leader "wants peace."
Following these discussions, Trump has reportedly assigned top officials from his administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, to oversee the peace negotiations.
Both Putin and Zelensky acknowledged their talks with Trump and welcomed Washington’s peace efforts. Zelensky is expected to meet U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a defense conference in Munich next Friday. Trump also confirmed this upcoming meeting in his social media posts.
Trump reiterated his stance that "now is the time to stop this senseless war that has caused widespread and completely unnecessary loss of life and destruction."
While the exact date for a face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin has not been announced, Trump suggested to reporters at the White House that "we will meet in Saudi Arabia."
This marks the first direct phone call between the American and Russian presidents since the war in Ukraine began in late February 2022. The Kremlin stated that the conversation lasted about an hour, with Putin reportedly endorsing Trump’s view that it is time for both sides to collaborate.
However, Trump and his defense secretary have both stated that Ukraine is unlikely to join NATO. Trump also told reporters that it is improbable that Ukraine will reclaim its pre-2014 borders, though he hinted that "some land will be returned."
During his previous election campaigns, Trump repeatedly claimed that he could end the war in Ukraine "within a day" if he were re-elected.
