ABC:
LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to his U.S. and European partners not to “abandon” Kyiv in any revived peace talks with Russia, aimed at ending the war between the two nations now nearly three years old.
The return of President Donald Trump to the White House has raised the prospect of renewed negotiations, with the president telling reporters this weekend he had been “making progress” in contacts with Kyiv and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In an interview with Britain’s ITV News published this weekend, Zelenskyy said he “would be ready for any format for talks” if there was “an understanding that America and Europe will not abandon us and they will support us and provide security guarantees.”
Russian officials have expressed openness to renewed talks, but have not indicated any willingness to downgrade Moscow’s longstanding war goals of annexing swaths of Ukraine and blocking Kyiv’s ambitions to join NATO.
Putin has said he’s not willing to negotiate directly with Zelenskyy, dismissing the Ukrainian leader as “illegitimate.”
A top Russian official on Monday told state-owned news agency RIA Novosti that Moscow has not yet received any suitable negotiating proposals from the Trump administration.
“We approach such statements realistically. It is important that words are supported by practical steps that take into account Russia’s legitimate interests, demonstrate a willingness to root out the root causes of the crisis and recognize new realities. No specific proposals of this nature have been received yet,” Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said.
The diplomatic maneuvering continues as White House officials prepare to travel to both Germany and Ukraine, with fresh high-level peace talk discussions expected.
Vice President JD Vance is expected to attend next weekend the Munich Security Conference in southern Germany, where Zelenskyy is expected to lead Kyiv’s delegation.
Trump’s Ukraine-Russia envoy, Keith Kellogg, is then expected to visit Ukraine on Feb. 20.
In his interview with ITV, Zelenskyy warned the White House against simply freezing the conflict along the current front line.
“A frozen conflict will lead to more aggression again and again,” the Ukrainian leader said. “Who then will win prizes and go down in history as the victor? No one. It will be an absolute defeat for everyone, both for us, as is important, and for Trump.”
