Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared his willingness to hold presidential elections in order to bring an end to the armed conflict. He made the statement during a closed-door meeting following negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to RBC-Ukraine. Zelensky stressed that elections would only be considered if they positively contributed to conflict resolution, noting that premature voting risked destabilizing the country.
Zelensky Rejects Territorial Concessions
The Ukrainian leader reiterated that Kyiv would never legally recognize Russia’s control over Crimea or other occupied regions. He revealed that Ukraine had tried to persuade Trump on the territorial issue during their August 18 meeting in Washington. Zelensky warned that if Ukrainian forces lost fortified positions in Donetsk, Russia could launch new offensives toward Kharkiv and Dnipro.
Possible Meeting with Putin in Neutral Europe
Zelensky said Ukraine was preparing for a U.S.-mediated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting Switzerland and Austria as neutral venues. “We consider it fair, as emphasized by Europeans, that the meeting should take place in neutral Europe, because the conflict is on the European continent,” Zelensky stated. His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, expanded the list of possible venues to include Turkey and Saudi Arabia, while ruling out Moscow and Budapest due to the legacy of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on nuclear disarmament.
Security Guarantees Instead of NATO Membership
Zelensky called for U.S.-coordinated security guarantees modeled on Israel’s arrangements, rejecting Russia’s proposal to involve China as a guarantor. He accused Beijing of inaction regarding Ukraine’s security, citing the Budapest Memorandum, though China was not a signatory but issued a separate statement of assurance in 1994. “We need security guarantees only from those countries ready to help us,” Zelensky emphasized.
No Recognition for Russian Language as a State Language
Responding to a journalist’s question, Zelensky dismissed calls to grant Russian official status alongside Ukrainian. “We have one state language—Ukrainian. Russians can say whatever they want,” he said, rejecting Moscow’s conditions regarding the rights of Russian speakers. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had previously declared that restoring such rights was a prerequisite for long-term peace.
Ukraine Announces Flamingo Ballistic Missile Production
Zelensky also confirmed the successful testing and upcoming mass production of the domestically developed Flamingo ballistic missile. The rollout is planned for late 2025 or early 2026. According to Associated Press, the FP-5 missile has a range of up to 3,000 kilometers and carries a 1.15-ton warhead. The manufacturer, Fire Point, currently produces one missile per day. “I think we cannot say much about this until we are able to deploy hundreds of missiles,” Zelensky noted.
