Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has firmly stated that his country will not accept Russia’s ultimatums.
He reiterated that the peace talks between the USA and Russia were conducted without Ukraine’s involvement.
Speaking in Ankara after meeting with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine would not accept the outcomes of talks held “behind Ukraine’s back.”
“It feels like the US is now discussing the ultimatum that Putin set at the start of the full-scale war,” Zelensky told reporters. “Once again, decisions about Ukraine are being made without Ukraine. I wonder why they believe Ukraine would accept all these ultimatums now if we refused them at the most difficult moment?”
Previously, US President Donald Trump had blamed the Ukrainian leader and Europe for allowing the war to continue for so long. Trump criticized Zelensky for repeatedly complaining about not being invited to the Riyadh meeting, stating that Ukraine should not have started the war in the first place.
However, Zelensky, supported by European leaders, said he would pursue the return of occupied eastern and southern towns and villages through diplomatic means, stressing, “They will be Ukrainian. There can be no compromise.”
According to Reuters, Zelensky was scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, but the trip has been postponed to avoid giving the US-Russia talks “legitimacy.”
