Latest news with #Ukraine-UnitedStates-Russia
New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Ukraine won't give up land that Russia doesn't already occupy, Zelensky says after Putin's demand
Kyiv will not give up land that Moscow troops aren't occupying as part of any peace deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands. Speaking ahead of his meeting with President Trump on Monday, Zelensky told reporters in Brussels that while Kyiv would be open to 'land swaps' in exchange for peace, Putin's demands to cede the entirety of the Donetsk region — including parts under Ukrainian control — is off the table. 'We need real negotiations, which means they can start where the front line is now,' Zelensky said. 'The contact line is the best line for talking. Advertisement 4 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would not cede land to Russia that has been successfully defended by his troops as part of a peace deal. AFP via Getty Images 4 Ukrainian troops have been able to effectively halt Russia's advancements in the Donetsk region for more than three years. Getty Images 'Russia is still unsuccessful in the Donetsk region,' he added. 'Putin has been unable to take it for 12 years, and the Constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible to give up territory or trade land.' During his summit with Trump on Friday, Putin demanded that Ukraine withdraw all its forces from Donetsk and the neighboring Luhanks region, both of which lie along the eastern border, as one of the main conditions for ending the war. Advertisement While Russia currently controls a large swath of land across both regions, Ukraine has been able to keep Moscow's forces from claiming the entire regions for more than three years. Kyiv still holds the key cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, with hundreds of Moscow's troops killed or injured every week in the quagmire. 4 Vladimir Putin has made no public statement that Moscow would consider any concessions in the peace talks with Ukraine, with the Russian President demanding two entire Ukrainian regions to stop his invasion force. AP Advertisement Zelensky said Kyiv would not falter on these conditions, with European leaders backing the Ukrainian president and warning Trump that the country's border cannot be allowed to be altered through force. 'Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at the trilateral Ukraine-United States-Russia,' Zelensky added. 'So far, Russia gives no sign that trilateral will happen, and if Russia refuses, then new sanctions must follow,' he added. 4 A Ukrainian soldier fires a howitzer at invading Russian forces in Donetsk on Saturday. Getty Images Advertisement As he prepares for this meeting with Trump on Monday, Zelensky said he will seek the full details of the 'security guarantees' that will be available for Ukraine if a peace deal is reached. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday that Putin agreed to allow the US and Europe to provide Ukraine with assurances that it will never again be invaded by Russia, similar to NATO's 'Article 5' agreement that allows member nations to defend each other if one is ever attacked. Putin has publicly denounced any deal that would give Ukraine NATO membership, with Trump also dismissing such proposals in the past. The Russian strongman has also remained silent on what concessions Moscow is willing to make in the peace talks, which leaves Zelensky with more questions than answers following Friday's summit in Alaska. 'We really want to get an answer to these questions in order to understand what 'security guarantees' are,' Zelensky said.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Putin unable to take Donetsk for 12 years': Zelenskyy's strong pitch on ceding territory day before Trump talks; 'need US on our side'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a strong pitch against ceding terroritries like Donetsk to Russia a day before his talks with US President Donald Trump. He said that any discussions involving territories should take place in a trilateral meeting with Ukraine's presence. Speaking in Brussels with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, he said, "We need real negotiations, which means they can start where the front line is now. The contact line is the best line for talks, and Europeans support this, for which we are thankful. Russia is still unsuccessful in the Donetsk region, and Putin has been unable to take it for 12 years." "The Constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible to give up territory or trade land. Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at a trilateral Ukraine-United States-Russia meeting. So far, Russia shows no sign that such a trilateral will happen, and if it refuses, new sanctions must follow," he added. Zelenskyy will be joined by a powerful line-up of European leaders and Nato chiefs as he seeks to secure united backing from the West in the crucial meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo Ahead of the meeting, he also stressed the need for a ceasefire and 'real negotiations.' Zelenskyy said, 'Europe is united now as it was in 2022 when the full-scale war began, because this unity helps to reach real peace and must stay strong.' He also called for the killings to stop, even if Putin 'does not want to'. 'Putin has many demands, but we do not know all of them, and if they are as many as reported, it will take time to address them. This cannot be done under the pressure of weapons, so a ceasefire is necessary to work on a final deal. We will discuss this in Washington. Putin does not want to stop the killings, but he must,' he added. Von der Leyen, who confirmed she would join Zelenskyy and other leaders at the White House, said, 'I'm very pleased to be here today for the bilateral meetings we just had, and I'm glad to accompany you and other European leaders tomorrow for the meeting with the US President at the White House. Since the beginning of Russia's brutal invasion, Europe has stood united with Ukraine and will continue to support you for as long as it takes to achieve a just and lasting peace. ' Zelenskyy made clear that any future settlement could not come at the cost of Ukraine's sovereignty. He said negotiations should begin along the current front line, calling it 'the best line for talks'. Zelenskyy also highlighted Washington's role in shaping peace efforts. 'From the very beginning, when the US President proposed a ceasefire in March as the first step to stop the killings, we supported it as a strong move to push Russia toward real negotiations... We need United States on our side, and I think that President Trump shared that we need peace, but it requires the right steps - steps toward lasting peace that will truly stop Putin, not just create a pause in the war. This is essential for all of us. ' He further added that Ukraine's security must be tied closely to Europe's future. Zelenskyy said the key questions now were, 'What America's role will be, what Europe's role will be, and what the EU can do. And this is our main task - we need security to work in practice like Article 5 of Nato, and we consider EU accession to be part of security guarantees.' He said that President Trump and Putin appeared to share views on the matter, which led to discussions on EU accession negotiations. 'There can be no division between Ukraine and Moldova,' Zelenskyy stressed, warning that such a move 'would mean Europe is divided on Ukraine and lacks a common strong position on guarantees, which many in Europe believe would only make things worse.' In Washington, Zelenskyy would be accompanied by Von der Leyen, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The united front comes after tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump in February, when a heated Oval Office meeting left Kyiv fearing it could be pressurised. Concern also grew after Trump's recent summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, from which Zelenskyy was excluded, sparking alarms that the US president could favour Moscow.
