Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly declared on Saturday that Ukraine would never sign a peace deal negotiated outside of its direct participation. His statement, made at the Munich Security Conference, seemed to be addressed to US President Donald Trump, who has started attempts to negotiate peace with Russia.
Zelenskyy also called on European leaders to create a single continental defense force, contending that Ukraine’s military efforts were not enough to guarantee Europe’s security. “Ukraine will never agree to agreements made behind our backs without us. The same principle should be applied to all of Europe,” he said.
His speech followed Trump’s recent call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking the first direct communication between US and Russian leaders since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Trump has indicated a future meeting with Putin, possibly in Saudi Arabia, raising concerns in Kyiv about negotiations proceeding without a coordinated Western strategy.
Ukraine has emphasized the necessity of joint talks with the US and Europe prior to any Trump-Putin meeting. The Trump administration’s policy, however, has left some European allies in doubt, with rumors that Washington is offering concessions to Moscow ahead of official talks.
Zelenskyy also alerted that the Kremlin could try to entice Trump to attend May 9 Victory Day festivities in Moscow, when a military parade takes place on Red Square. He advised that Trump not encounter Putin before consulting with Ukrainian leadership.
Speaking to European countries, Zelenskyy asked if their armies were ready for possible Russian aggression, including false-flag “deceptions.” Citing reports of intelligence that Russia intends to move more troops to Belarus this summer, he warned, “If this war goes in the wrong direction, Putin will have an abundance of battle-tested soldiers trained to do nothing but kill and plunder.”.
