Kyiv – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that he anticipates a “strong response” from the United States if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to agree to a bilateral meeting. Zelensky spoke to reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday, highlighting uncertainties surrounding potential territorial concessions from Russia and referring to Hungary as a “challenging” venue for future negotiations between the two countries, reports 24brussels.
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 urged U.S. President Donald Trump to impose additional sanctions on Russia if it remains unwilling to engage in discussions with Kyiv. Following this, he indicated that Trump expects a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin to occur within “one to two weeks.” Should the meeting yield positive outcomes, a trilateral summit featuring Trump could subsequently be arranged.
“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,”
the Ukrainian president remarked.
Which countries could host possible Ukraine-Russia peace talks?
Zelensky also expressed his willingness to meet Putin, insisting that Ukraine requires security guarantees beforehand. He proposed Switzerland, Austria, or Turkey as potential locations for the meeting.
“For us, Turkey is a NATO country and part of Europe, and we are not opposed,”
Zelensky stated, adding, “Switzerland, Austria – we agree.” He indicated that Ukraine aims to gain clarity on the security guarantees within seven to ten days and hopes to convene a trilateral summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
How significant is Ukraine’s new long-range missile test?
Additionally, 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), with mass production potentially starting as early as February.
“The missile has undergone successful tests. It is currently our most successful missile – it can fly 3,000 kilometers, which is significant,”
Zelensky informed journalists.
Why does Zelensky reject China as a security guarantor?
The Ukrainian president also dismissed any prospect of Chinese involvement in ensuring Ukraine’s security, citing Beijing’s alleged support for Russia.
“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 remarked.
Moreover, Zelensky mentioned that he asked President Trump to encourage Hungary to facilitate 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 concluded.
