Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly objected to discussions between the U.S. and Russia about Ukraine’s future without Kyiv’s involvement. His protest followed President Donald Trump’s unexpected announcement that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin direct peace talks aimed at ending Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Trump revealed on social media Wednesday that he had spoken with Putin by phone, stating that both sides had decided to have their teams “immediately begin negotiations” to bring an end to nearly three years of full-scale conflict.
The announcement came shortly after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed allies that Ukraine would not be able to reclaim all Russian-occupied territory and would not receive NATO security guarantees as part of any peace settlement.
“As a sovereign nation, we cannot accept any agreements made without our participation,” Zelenskyy told reporters, emphasizing the need for European involvement in the process.
He also stated that if Ukraine does not receive concrete security guarantees from the U.S. and NATO, then 100,000 European troops would be needed to enforce a ceasefire. Reiterating his “Plan B” proposal from earlier in the week, he stressed that if NATO membership and security assurances remain out of reach, Ukraine must be provided with enough weapons to defend itself independently.
