Ukraine can only begin negotiations with Russia after meeting with the newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, and receiving security guarantees.
This was stated by the country's leader, Vladimir Zelensky, in an interview with American podcaster Lex Friedman. The researcher expressed his dream of signing a peace treaty between Ukraine and Russia following agreements on a ceasefire and providing Kyiv with strong security guarantees. Zelensky responded:
"I think that on January 25 or another day, we will first sit down with Trump. We will negotiate how we can stop the war and Putin. It is very important for us that Europe, of which we are a part, also has a voice."
The president noted that a conversation with Moscow is only possible after Kyiv is offered security guarantees. In his opinion, Trump is capable of providing this. "And that's how it should be, not just that we immediately sat down [at the negotiating table] together," Zelensky added.
Zelensky's Interview with Friedman
Recall that the podcaster suggested the Ukrainian leader communicate in Russian, but he declined. The conversation lasted over three hours.
The president reminded about the indecisiveness of some countries before the start of the full-scale invasion, as well as expressed his views on security guarantees for Ukraine.