On 18 February, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia’s willingness to keep Ukraine out of NATO aligns with the positions of the US and several European countries, according to UNIAN.
On 12 February, Trump announced the start of negotiations with Moscow to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, following calls with Russian ruler Vladimir Putin. His statement triggered a wave of criticism, as experts warned that it could be a ceasefire on Putin’s terms with a lack of security guarantees for Ukraine, especially after US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations “unrealistic.” This conversation also stirred concerns in Europe, as its representatives were not involved in the negotiations. Amid uncertainty about whether the US will lead to a weakening of NATO due to its increasingly isolationist stance, many media outlets and analysts have labeled this strategy as a victory for Russia.
Speaking at a press conference in Türkiye, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine needs to understand who can genuinely provide security guarantees.
“It’s not just about goodwill but also about a country’s strength. These guarantees are necessary to prevent another devastating war. Not because we fear the Russian army occupying us, but because any war brings casualties—many casualties—and we do not want that,” he emphasized.
He noted that NATO members, European nations, and the US could offer Ukraine strong security guarantees and hope for eventual NATO membership.
“But we are not hearing such support from the US today. We know that they, along with a few European partners, do not back our NATO membership. I believe this outcome aligns with Russia’s strong desire,” Zelenskyy said.
However, he added that security guarantees could still come in the form of a strong Ukrainian military and the possible presence of troops from European countries and the US. While it is too early to determine the outcome, he stressed that the issue must be discussed.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held nearly five hours of talks in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabia capital without Ukraine’s representatives.
Lavrov described the negotiations as an effort to end the “abnormal period” in relations between the two “great powers.” The discussions were expected to lay the groundwork for a potential meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
At the same time, Western intelligence officials said that Putin is not interested in negotiating a peace deal over the war in Ukraine and seeks to capture the entire country.
They added that the Russian ruler may agree to a ceasefire and a peace deal, it would primarily serve as a strategy to buy time for Russia’s military recovery.
Related:
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- European leaders to hold emergency summit on Ukraine as Trump pushes for talks with Russia
- Polish FM: Macron convenes European leaders to discuss Trump’s actions
- ISW: Estonia warns of Russia’s military buildup beyond war in Ukraine
- NATO tests European deployment capabilities without US participation
