President Vladimir Zelensky stated that excluding Ukraine from negotiations between the U.S. and Russia regarding the war would be "very dangerous," commenting on U.S. President Donald Trump's assertion that his administration has already held "very serious" discussions with Russia about ending the war.
"They may have their own relations, but discussing Ukraine without us is dangerous for everyone," Zelensky told The Associated Press in an interview.
According to him, his team maintains contact with the Trump administration, but these discussions are at a "general level," and he believes that personal meetings will occur soon to develop more detailed agreements.
"We need to work harder on this," he said, adding that in the first weeks following the inauguration, Trump was understandably focused on domestic issues.
Zelensky also noted that Russia is unwilling to engage in ceasefire negotiations or discuss any concessions. At the same time, he is confident that Donald Trump can compel Vladimir Putin to come to the negotiating table by threatening sanctions against the Russian energy and banking sectors while continuing to support Ukrainian military forces.
"I believe these are the closest and most important steps," he stated.
Donald Trump and Negotiations
Earlier, Donald Trump stated that he is conducting "very serious" discussions with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine.
"I am ready to do everything in my power to stop this war. We are already engaged in serious negotiations. They are planned and ongoing. We are having very important discussions aimed at putting an end to this war by reaching an agreement with Russia," he said.
At the same time, Donald Trump's special representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, noted that the U.S. has a "good, reliable plan to move forward." He also reiterated that he expects to see progress on Ukraine in the next 100 days.