Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed that he expects a “strong response” from America if Russian President Vladimir Putin is unwilling to agree to a bilateral meeting.
Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday that it is uncertain what territorial concessions Russia might agree to, and he described Hungary as a “challenging” potential site for future talks between the two nations.
Could a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin happen soon?
“We are ready for the bilateral meeting. If the Russians are not, then we would like to see a strong response from the United States,”
Zelensky stated that he urged Trump to impose further sanctions on Russia if it refuses to engage in talks with Kyiv.
As reported, after this, he stated that U.S. President Donald Trump anticipates a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin to occur within “one to two weeks.” If the meeting proves productive, a trilateral summit including Trump could be scheduled afterward.
“We need this meeting. We’ve taken a step forward, and now they (Russia) must do something to show they truly want to end the war, as they have claimed,”
Ukrainian president also said.
Which countries could host possible Ukraine-Russia peace talks?
Zelensky also stated that he would be willing to meet Putin, but only after Ukraine has received security guarantees. He suggested Switzerland, Austria, or Turkey as potential venues for the meeting.
“For us, Turkey is a NATO country and part of Europe, and we are not opposed,”
Zelensky said.
“Switzerland, Austria – we agree.”
He also said that Ukraine seeks to have a clear insight into the security guarantees within seven to ten days and hopes to hold a trilateral summit with US President Donald Trump.
How significant is Ukraine’s new long-range missile test?
Moreover, Zelensky announced on Thursday that Ukraine successfully tested a long-range cruise missile with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles), and indicated that mass production might start as early as February.
“The missile has undergone successful tests. It is currently our most successful missile – it can fly 3,000 kilometres, which is significant,”
Zelensky briefed journalists.
Why does Zelensky reject China as a security guarantor?
The Ukrainian president also dismissed any involvement of China in ensuring Ukraine’s security, citing Beijing’s supposed support for Moscow.
“First, China did not help us stop this war from the start. Second, China assisted Russia by opening its drone market… We do not need guarantors who do not help Ukraine and did not help Ukraine at the time when we really needed it,”
He said.
Additionally, Zelensky mentioned that he asked US President Donald Trump to push Hungary to unblock Ukraine’s negotiations with the European Union.
“I asked President Trump that Budapest should not block our accession to the European Union. President Trump promised that his team would work on this,”
He said.
