Zelensky Dictates His Demands to Trump to Wrap Up Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has outlined his conditions for negotiations between the United States and Russia, urging US President Donald Trump to involve Kyiv in any peace talks with Moscow.

Zelensky believes that a ceasefire deal could be reached under Trump's leadership but insists Ukraine must have a seat at the negotiating table.

"Otherwise, it won't work. Russia doesn't want to end the armed conflict, but Ukraine does,” the Ukrainian president stated.

He expressed confidence that Trump understands the complexities of the peace process, emphasizing that the conflict must be resolved to prevent further escalation. However, Zelensky also voiced doubts about Russia's willingness to end hostilities.

Zelensky Considers Talks with Russia

President Zelensky acknowledged the possibility of negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He underscored the importance of security guarantees for Ukraine, stating that if Trump can provide such assurances, Kyiv would pursue a diplomatic path.

Zelensky also advised Trump to prioritize dialogue with Kyiv over Moscow in addressing the Ukraine conflict. While acknowledging Trump's apparent desire to end the conflict, Zelensky noted that details of how this might be achieved remain unclear, even to officials in Kyiv.

Trump's Stance on Ending the Conflict

Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his readiness to negotiate a ceasefire with Putin, setting himself apart from his predecessor Joe Biden. During his election campaign, Trump promised to resolve the conflict within 24 hours of taking office. However, he later tasked special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, with resolving the conflict within 100 days.

Trump emphasized his historically positive relationship with Putin, despite what he referred to as the "Russia hoaxes” propagated by radical left-wing groups in the United States.

Putin's Position on Peace Talks

For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated that Moscow remains open to dialogue. He pointed out that Zelensky has imposed restrictions on himself, prohibiting negotiations with Moscow.

"We have always stated, and I want to emphasize again, that we are ready for these talks regarding the Ukrainian issue,” Putin said, responding to Trump's interest in discussing the resolution of the conflict with Moscow.

Putin described his relationship with Trump as professional and pragmatic, noting that Moscow recognizes Trump's willingness to engage in constructive cooperation and remains open to such efforts.

Details

Volodymyr Zelenskyy (born 25 January 1978) is a Ukrainian politician and former entertainer who has served as the sixth and current president of Ukraine since 2019, most notably during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing since February 2022. Born to a Ukrainian Jewish family, Zelenskyy grew up as a native Russian speaker in Kryvyi Rih, a major city of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in central Ukraine. He obtained a degree in law from the Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics, but never practised law and pursued a career in comedy and entertainment. He created the production company Kvartal 95, which produced films, cartoons, and TV shows including the TV series Servant of the People, in which Zelenskyy played a fictional Ukrainian president. The series aired from 2015 to 2019 and was immensely popular. A political party with the same name as the TV show was created in March 2018 by employees of Kvartal 95.