Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he would be willing to hold direct talks with Vladimir Putin to end the nearly three-year-long war. He stated this in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan posted on YouTube on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
With Donald Trump back in the White House and the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion approaching, there is growing speculation about potential peace negotiations.
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When asked how he would feel sitting across from Putin at a negotiating table, Zelensky said, “If that is the only set-up in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely we will go for this set-up,” adding that he would be with “four participants.”
He did not specify who those participants would be. However, earlier Morgan had suggested a possible meeting involving Russia, Ukraine, the EU, and the US.
Zelensky made it clear that he sees Putin as an enemy, stating, “I will not be kind to him. I consider him an enemy. To be honest, I think he considers me an enemy, too.”
Ukraine has faced challenges holding back Russian advances, and Zelensky admitted that some lost territory may not be regained.
“Regrettably, the support that is provided by our partners is insufficient to push Putin fully out of our territories,” he said.
There are concerns in both Kyiv and the EU that Trump could pressure Ukraine into making unfair compromises with Russia.
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Meanwhile, Zelensky reaffirmed that Ukraine joining NATO remains the country’s preferred way to secure long-term peace and protection, saying, “A roadmap for Ukraine to join NATO remains Kyiv’s favored way to end fighting and get security guarantees.”
Trump and Keith Kellogg, US special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, said earlier they are working on a plan to broker a deal in the first several months of the new administration to end Russia’s war against Ukraine but have offered few details about their strategy.
Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that his country could hold peace talks with Ukraine, but ruled out speaking directly with President Zelensky, calling him “illegitimate” and claiming his presidential term has expired. Zelensky has in turn said that the Russian leader is “afraid” of negotiations.
Ukraine has not held elections since the outbreak of war and ensuing institution of martial law, which Kellogg said Sunday was permitted under the Ukrainian constitution.
“Most democratic nations have elections in their time of war. I think it is important they do so,” Kellogg said in an interview with Reuters. “I think it is good for democracy. That’s the beauty of a solid democracy, you have more than one person potentially running.”
This push for elections was slammed as unrealistic in Kyiv, with calls for the White House to come up with a real plan instead.
“Moscow keeps increasing missile and ammunition production, finding new ways to bypass sanctions, and making money from oil. And it’s clear that all these weapons are not being built to respect democratic neighbors,” said Dmytro Lytvyn, communications adviser to the Ukrainian president.
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