The Associated Press interviewed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday at a crucial juncture of the nearly three-year war against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to end the war within six months of his inauguration, but both sides are far apart, and it is unclear how a ceasefire deal could take shape.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops continue to lose territory in eastern Ukraine, and the country faces near-daily Russian attacks targeting homes and infrastructure. That raises fears that Russian President Vladimir Putin prefers to wait out the war because he believes he will triumph.
Here are some takeaways from AP’s interview with Zelenskyy:
He says talks between Moscow and Washington must not exclude Ukraine
Zelenskyy said talks between the U.S. and Russia about the war in his country that exclude Ukraine would be “dangerous,” and he seeks more communication between the Trump administration and Kyiv.
His remarks followed comments Friday by Trump, who said American and Russian officials were “already talking” about ending the war. Trump said his administration has had “very serious” discussions with Russia, but he did not elaborate.
Zelenskyy said his team has been in contact with the Trump administration, but those discussions are at a “general level,” and he believes in-person meetings will take place soon to develop more detailed agreements.
A planned visit by Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellog was postponed. Zelenskyy said it will be rescheduled. He also said he and Trump discussed meeting to develop a plan for a ceasefire. Zelenskyy hoped that would led to conversations with Russian officials.
He says Trump can force Russia to make concessions
A key question underlying any ceasefire proposal will be Russia’s willingness to engage in talks, especially now that its forces appear to have the upper hand on the battlefield. Zelenskyy said Putin interprets negotiating directly with Kyiv as losing.
He said Trump could bring Putin to the table through the threat of sanctions targeting Russia’s energy and banking system, as well as continued support of the Ukrainian military.
NATO is the ‘cheapest’ security guarantee option
Zelenskyy said NATO membership is the “cheapest” option for Ukraine’s allies, and it would strengthen Trump geopolitically.
Other scenarios that involve arming and training Ukraine’s 800,000-strong army would be expensive for U.S. and European allies to maintain over time, Zelenskyy said. He also said Ukraine’s armed forces would be a bonus for the alliance, especially if Trump seeks to bring back home overseas U.S. troops.
Approving Ukraine’s NATO bid would be “a great victory” for Trump, Zelenskyy added, in an apparent appeal to the president’s penchant for winners and business deals.
Skepticism about putting European troops in Ukraine
Zelenskyy said a French proposal to put European forces in Ukraine as a deterrent force is taking shape, but he expressed skepticism, saying many questions remained about the command-and-control structure and the number of troops and their positions.
Zelenskyy said he told both French President Emmanuel Marcon and Trump that the option of putting European troops in Ukraine was welcome, but it would not be a sufficient security guarantee alone.
He added: “Imagine, there is a contingent. The question is who is in charge? Who is the main one? What will they do if there are Russian strikes? Missiles, disembarkation, attack from the sea, crossing of the land borderline, offensive. What will they do? What are their mandates?”