Istanbul: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says “for peace to be real, we need real security guarantees” after meeting European leaders at a summit in London.
Zelenskyy said he’s ready to have a “constructive dialogue” with his US counterpart Donald Trump to “solve real problems”.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance flayed Zelenskyy for being dismissive about ceasefire with Moscow, saying the Kyiv had no way of winning the war against the Kremlin.
Days after the botched meeting at the White House, Zelenskyy recognised Kyiv’s dependence on Washington, however, he avoided apologising.
“I am convinced that the situation will pass and more important things are ahead,” Zelenskyy said during the summit held in London.
Zelenskyy said he believed he could salvage his relationship with Trump after their explosive meeting in the Oval Office, but that talks needed to continue behind closed doors.
Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not concede any territory to Russia as part of a peace deal. He said a minerals deal with the United States is “ready” to be signed despite his public bust-up with the US President.
Zelenskyy said Kyiv is ready to go forward with the agreement, which fell through following the clash with Trump on Friday.
“We must be open. Ukraine is not the biggest country in the world but everyone can see how it fights for its independence and freedom. We count on assistance from the United States without a doubt,” he said.
Meanwhile, Friedrich Merz, likely future chancellor of Germany, called US President Trump’s undiplomatic public rant towards Zelenskyy a premeditated escalation.
“It was not a spontaneous reaction to interventions by Zelenskyy, but obviously a manufactured escalation,” he told a press conference.