Zelenskyy rejects US-Russia peace talks without Ukraine’s involvement

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that his country will not accept any peace deal negotiated by the United States and Russia without Kyiv’s direct involvement.

His remarks came after former US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly agreed to begin discussions to end the ongoing war, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"We cannot accept it, as an independent country," Zelenskyy said, making it clear that Ukraine would not be sidelined in any potential negotiations.

Trump, who spoke with Putin by phone, described a "good possibility" of ending the war but stated that it was "not practical" for Ukraine to join NATO and "unlikely" that the country would regain its pre-invasion borders.

The US president also suggested that Russian representatives would meet their American counterparts on February 14 at the Munich Security Conference. "Russia is going to be there with our people," Trump said. "Ukraine is also invited, by the way. Not sure exactly who's going to be there from any country but high-level people from Russia, from Ukraine and from the United States."

Russia, which is not officially attending the annual security forum, has not commented on Trump’s claim. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy’s adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, dismissed the suggestion of talks in Munich, stating that "talks with Russians in Munich" were "not expected."

Zelenskyy is set to meet Trump’s Vice-President, JD Vance, in the German city on February 14. The Ukrainian leader, who spoke with Trump on February 12, reiterated that his country could not accept "any agreements [made] without us." He also stressed the need for European leaders to be included in any peace talks, adding that his priority remained securing "security guarantees," which he did not see as possible without US support.

"I also warned world leaders against trusting Putin's claims of readiness to end the war," Zelenskyy added.

Trump, who made his first publicly acknowledged White House call with Putin since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, indicated that he expected a ceasefire soon and suggested he would meet the Russian leader in Saudi Arabia.

When asked whether Ukraine would be treated as an equal party in peace talks, Trump replied: "They have to make peace."

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking at a NATO summit on February 13, confirmed that peace negotiations would include "both Putin and Zelenskyy" and described Trump as the "perfect dealmaker."

Hegseth, who previously said it was "unrealistic" for Ukraine to regain its pre-2014 borders and questioned its NATO prospects, appeared to shift his stance, stating that "everything was on the table" and that negotiations were being led by the president. He also suggested that discussions could involve financial aid to Ukraine and US troop deployments in Europe.

By Vugar Khalilov