President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine will not accept peace agreements with Russia if they are made without Ukraine’s participation.
The head of state made the statement during a joint press conference with the leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries in Tallinn.
“With all due respect to the United States — they can be part of any format, because in the future we will need security guarantees from Europe and the United States. We will be glad to see the American team, but I urge not to repeat the mistake when one country, big or small, makes some decision with Russia, then puts it on the table and says: ‘Look, here is an idea.’ No, we will not accept such negotiations without us, when the war is being fought on our territory, when Ukraine bears most of the losses. So, nothing about us without us,” Zelensky said.
At the same time, the President noted that negotiation formats may vary.
“We understand that the E3 (the United Kingdom, France, Germany) is a good option, but I think it depends on Europe. Europe must discuss this together and decide who it will be. Then propose it to us, and we will support it,” he said.
Zelensky also urged not to repeat past mistakes.
“For example, the Normandy Format — that was in the past. We should not repeat the Minsk agreements. I think there are better formats than those we had before,” he added.
In a Telegram post, Zelensky noted that Europe is strongest when Europeans act together, not separately.
“This is exactly what we are achieving in all our formats. On Sunday there was a Ukraine–E3 meeting. Today — Ukraine–NB8. In addition, we maintain constant contact with the United States. We are jointly preparing for upcoming EU and NATO summits, as well as G7 meetings. All of this can deliver real results,” the President concluded.
