Ukrainian leader seeks meeting with Trump to strengthen position on peace talks

Concerns are growing among Ukrainian officials regarding the uncertainty surrounding the plans of US President-elect Donald Trump in connection with Ukraine.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urgently seeking to arrange a meeting with Trump to strengthen his position ahead of potential talks aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

During a meeting in New York in September, Zelenskyy’s proposals, including a provision that would block China from accessing Ukrainian resources, were discussed. This provision is described as "anyone but China." "This is an approach that is currently being actively discussed behind closed doors in the US Congress. Trump's people are reacting to the issue of China," the sources said.  

Zelenskyy has been advised to use this topic when engaging with the incoming US president.

"The argument presented to him for the meeting with Trump was as follows: the operational zone of the Indo-Pacific region begins in Ukraine," said one European advisor, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Another point of Zelenskyy's plan allegedly involves a proposal to replace US troops stationed in Europe with Ukrainian forces. 

At the end of September, Zelenskyy took a certain plan for ending the conflict to the US, as it included points that depend on Washington's decision. As explained by officials in Kyiv, the essence of Zelenskyy's proposals was to intensify pressure on Russia, including through long-range strikes, and to initiate negotiations based on the Ukrainian scenario, namely the so-called "peace formula." However, Washington met the plan with skepticism, and Zelenskyy effectively acknowledged that he left the US without securing a decision on using Western weapons for strikes deep into Russian territory.

Following this, Zelenskyy vigorously promoted his "victory plan" to European partners, but Kyiv did not receive the response it had hoped for. During his election campaign, Trump expressed a willingness to engage in resolving the Ukrainian conflict, claiming that he could do so relatively quickly. However, he did not put forward any specific proposals on the matter. 

The Ukrainian administration is concerned about its uncertain status in the US and fears that Kyiv may have to accept all of Trump’s conditions.   Earlier, Sergey Radchenko, a historian at the Henry Kissinger Center for Global Affairs, suggested that Trump could shift the blame for his failure to initiate negotiations on Ukraine.

By Naila Huseynova