US, EU should be part of Ukraine-Russia peace talks, Zelensky says

The United States and the European Union should join Ukraine and Russia at the negotiating table in future peace talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Associated Press (AP) in an interview published Feb. 1.

The comments come a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said that his team is already engaged in "very serious" discussions with the Russian side on how to end the war in Ukraine.

Talks about the war that do not include Ukraine are "very dangerous," Zelensky told the AP.

"They may have their own relations, but talking about Ukraine without us — it is dangerous for everyone," Zelensky said, referring to Trump's earlier remarks.

Zelensky said that the first step for Ukraine is to hold a high-level meeting with Trump, so that Kyiv and Washington can develop their own plans for a ceasefire. Then the parties can move on to discussions that involve Russia.  

"I believe that, first and foremost, we (must) hold a meeting with (Trump), and that is important. And that is, by the way, something that everyone in Europe wants," Zelensky said.

Following the meeting, "we should move on to some kind of format of conversation with Russians," he said.

"And I would like to see the United States of America, Ukraine, and the Russians at the negotiating table. ... And, to be honest, a European Union voice should also be there. I think it would be fair, effective. But how will it turn out I don't know."

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Zelensky told the AP that Moscow is not interested in holding peace talks due to their advantage on the battlefield, but that Trump could force Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate by threatening harsher sanctions against Russia. The U.S. should also continue supplying weapons to Kyiv, he said.

"I think these are the closest and most important steps."

The president also addressed comments by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said on Jan. 30 that the war has set Ukraine "back 100 years."

Rubio "needs to come to Ukraine, first of all, to see what Russia has done," Zelensky said.

"But also to see what the Ukrainian people did, what they were able to do for the security of Ukraine and the world, as I said, and just talk to these people."

Ukraine’s NATO membership ‘cheapest’ security guarantee, ‘victory’ for Trump, Zelensky tells AP

“It will be a signal that it is not for Russia to decide who should be in NATO and who should not, but for the United States of America to decide. I think this is a great victory for Trump.”

The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert