Ukrainian President Folodimir Zellinski said on Monday that the United States is trying to “satisfy” Moscow in the talks on Ukraine and warned against “the weakness” of Europe.
The Ukrainian president added during a meeting broadcast by the German channel ARD: “The United States now says very suitable things for Putin … because they want to please him,” according to Reuters news agency.
“They want to meet quickly and achieve a quick victory, but what they want – just a ceasefire – is not a victory,” Zellinski said.
US President Donald Trump announced last week that he had a direct conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the process of ending the war in Ukraine quickly.
US Defense Minister Beit Higseth ruled out Ukraine’s accession to NATO or the restoration of the lands it lost since 2014.
Regarding the features of any future agreement, Zellinski said, “We will not sign anything in order to have applause” and stressed that “the fate of our country for future generations” is at stake.
He also rejected the idea of waiving the Ukrainian lands that Russia seized, saying: “We will restore it all.”
While European leaders held a crisis talks in Paris on the fate of Ukraine, the ARD channel broadcast the opposite of Zelinski during the Munich Security Conference, which lasted for three days and ended on Sunday.
The Ukrainian president warned that Europe is in a weak position if it could not rely on the American security umbrella.
He said that while “preparations have increased” in recent years, “in terms of the strength of the forces, the number of combat forces, the fleet, the air force, and the drones … I think frankly that Europe is weak today.”
Zelinski added that Ukraine has become more flexible over the past three years and that “Putin will not be able to occupy us the way he wants.”
However, he warned that “there will be certainly no Ukrainian victory without the support of the United States.”
When asked if he would give up the presidency if necessary to reach an agreement, Zellinski said, “For peace, I am ready to do anything.”
