Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will never give in to Vladimir Putin‘s ‘ultimatums’ and has cancelled a visit to Saudi Arabia as he hit out at the United States and Russia for holding talks there ‘behind our backs’.
‘I wonder why they believe Ukraine would accept all these ultimatums now if we refused them at the most difficult moment,’ the Ukrainian President said, referring to Kyiv‘s refusal to bow to Moscow‘s demands during crisis talks at the start of the war.
Zelensky pointed out that there were ‘no agreements with the Russians during the occupation of Kyiv region,’ nor during negotiations in Belarus or Turkey.
Moscow at the time called for a reduction in the number of Ukrainian troops, recognition of occupied Ukrainian territories as part of Russia, and the appointment of a pro-Russian government in Kyiv.
‘As President of Ukraine, I have never given any guarantees to anyone or confirmed anything. Moreover, I have never intended to accept Russia’s ultimatums. And I am not going to,’ Zelensky said.
Officials from Moscow and Washington held talks in Riyadh today aimed at improving relations between their two countries and negotiating an end to the war, with the Kremlin saying afterwards that the discussions ‘went well’.
But both Ukraine and its European allies were absent from the talks, sparking fury from Zelensky, who has repeatedly said that his country would not accept the outcome of talks without being involved in them.
‘We were not invited to this Russian-American meeting in Saudi Arabia. It was a surprise for us. I think it was a surprise for many people,’ Zelensky said at a news conference in Turkey’s capital Ankara.
Zelensky said that while Ukraine wants the war to end, ‘we want it to be fair and that no one decides anything behind our backs.’
Speaking at a news conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Zelensky said that ending the war should involve European countries, including Turkey
The US and Russian delegations have been pictured attending the bilateral meeting at the Diriyah Palace this morning
Trump earlier this month upended US policy by saying he had held a phone call with Putin about beginning negotiations
Washington has insisted that Ukraine and European nations would have to have a seat at the negotiating table ‘at some point’, but did not specify when.
Speaking at a news conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Zelensky said that ending the war should involve European countries, including Turkey.
‘Ukraine, Europe in a broad sense – and this includes the European Union, Turkey, and the UK – should be involved in conversations and the development of the necessary security guarantees with America regarding the fate of our part of the world,’ he said.
‘I have a feeling that negotiations are taking place now with the same mood [as 2022] now – this time between representatives of Russia and the United States. About Ukraine, again about Ukraine and without Ukraine,’ he said on a visit to Turkey today.
He added that he had postponed his visit to Saudi Arabia planned for Wednesday until March 10, indicating his anger at the Arab state hosting the talks.
‘We are absolutely honest and open. I don’t want any coincidences. That’s why I’m not going to Saudi Arabia,’ he said.
US and Russian officials engaged in four-and-a-half hours of negotiations in Riyadh today, with the Kremlin saying the meeting ‘went well’.
Trump’s reversal of the years-long US policy of isolating Russia has triggered fears Washington could be preparing to force Kyiv into a settlement on Moscow’s terms.
British PM Sir Keir Starmer met with European leaders at the Elysee Palace yesterday
The US had previously assured that Ukraine and Europe would be part of any ‘real negotiations’ to end the war, and officials have sought to cast today’s talks as a follow-up to the call between Trump and Putin.
They have characterised it as an initial contact between the two parties to determine whether Moscow is serious about ending the war.
The two parties discussed establishing a mechanism to address ‘irritants to our bilateral relationship’ with the goal of normalizing diplomatic relations, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement.
They also appointed high-level teams to work on ending the Ukraine conflict ‘as soon as possible in a way that is enduring, sustainable, and acceptable to all sides,’ she said.
‘One phone call followed by one meeting is not sufficient to establish enduring peace,’ she insisted.
In the aftermath of the discussions, Moscow has been laying out its demands and stipulations for peace talks, warning that a lasting settlement in Ukraine is ‘impossible’ without addressing the wider issue of European security.
Russian President Vladimir Putin pictured this week amid talks between Moscow and Washington
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced during a visit to Turkey today that his trip to Saudi Arabia has been postponed
‘A lasting and long-term viable resolution is impossible without a comprehensive consideration of security issues on the continent,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Peskov stated last week that Moscow wanted to use talks with the US to address Russian ‘concerns’ about the security situation in Europe. While he did not go into further detail, the Kremlin has demanded in recent years that NATO roll back to its 1997 borders.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova later said that Moscow wants NATO to disavow its 2008 promise to one day give Ukraine membership of the US-led military alliance.
Putin ‘s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday declared that Moscow has no plans to give territory it has seized in Ukraine over to Kyiv
Some European leaders, alarmed by President Donald Trump’s overhaul of US policy on Russia, fear Washington will make serious concessions to Moscow and re-write the continent’s security arrangement in a Cold War-style deal.
NATO membership for Ukraine is unacceptable for Russia, Zakharova said, adding that a simple refusal to accept Ukraine into NATO is also not enough for Russia.
‘It is worth noting that a refusal to accept Kyiv into NATO is not enough,’ she said. ‘The alliance must disavow the Bucharest promises of 2008.’
At a summit in the Romanian capital in 2008, NATO declared that both Ukraine and Georgia would join the US-led defence alliance – but gave them no plan for how to get there.
NATO’s official position – which has been consistently endorsed by Sir Keir Starmer’s Government – is that Kyiv is on an ‘irreversible’ path to joining the alliance.
European leaders have desperately tried to put on a united front in support of Kyiv, convening at an emergency summit in Paris yesterday.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz leaving early and saying he was ‘a little irritated’ by ‘premature’ plans being made ‘over Ukraine’s head’.
