Zelensky: "Concerns Over Ukraine's Exclusion from Peace Talks... Beware of Putin's Manipulated Information"

Interview with The Economist

On the 12th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump held consecutive phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accelerating the end of the nearly three-year-long Ukraine war. President Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine should not be excluded from the ceasefire talks.

President Zelensky made these remarks in an interview with the British economic magazine The Economist, published on the same day. This interview was released a few hours before Presidents Trump and Putin spoke.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

On the same day, President Trump told President Putin during their call that a ceasefire would happen in the near future and that they had agreed to meet in Saudi Arabia. Regarding Ukraine's long-standing aspiration to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), he said, "I don't think it's practical."

President Zelensky expressed caution about bilateral negotiations between the U.S. and Russia. He warned, "If Russia is left alone with the U.S., and Putin is left alone with Trump or their team, they (the U.S.) will receive manipulated information."

President Zelensky revealed that he had spoken with President Trump only twice since their meeting in September. He also expressed confidence that President Trump does not have a prepared peace plan because no one has consulted with Ukraine. He said, "We have not seen it, nor have we heard any proposals." He is scheduled to meet with U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference, which opens on the 14th. President Zelensky said, "We will be able to discuss several matters at the conference and find out their (the U.S.) plans," adding, "The most important thing is that they listen to our plans."

He stated that Ukraine is ready to enter ceasefire negotiations but that security guarantees capable of preventing new Russian aggression are essential. He said, "There is nothing without security guarantees," and added, "(President Putin) does not want peace."

Due to opposition from the U.S. and some European countries, Ukraine's long-cherished NATO membership is virtually impossible.

President Zelensky warned that Russia added 140,000 troops last year and 150,000 this year, and if Russia is left unchecked, it could invade Lithuania, Poland, and other European Union (EU) and NATO member countries. He also pointed out that Russia has 220 brigades consisting of 3,500 to 5,000 troops each, while Ukraine has 110 brigades and Europe only 80 brigades. He emphasized, "If Ukraine is gone, Europe will be occupied (by Russia)."

When asked whether he would run for re-election, he avoided answering and retorted, "How can elections be held in cities like Kharkiv, which are bombarded daily by Russia?" President Zelensky was elected in 2019 and took office in May of that year. Although his five-year term ended last year, he has continued in office because holding elections during the war is impossible.

After The Economist published the interview, President Trump announced that he had spoken separately with Presidents Putin and Zelensky. President Trump said that the U.S. and Russia would immediately begin negotiations on ending the Ukraine war and that they "agreed to work very closely." It is reported that President Trump spoke with President Zelensky after a long call with President Putin.

This has led to speculation that the U.S. and Russia plan to discuss an end to the war in bilateral talks excluding Ukraine.

Seemingly aware of this speculation, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, and the European Union (EU) Commission issued a statement on the same day saying, "Ukraine and Europe must participate in all negotiations." They also stated, "Ukraine must receive strong security guarantees," and "A fair and lasting peace for Ukraine is a necessary condition for strong security along the Atlantic coast." They added, "We are ready to strengthen support for Ukraine," and "We look forward to discussing the way forward together with our ally, the United States."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.