Accepting bad land deal cuts Ukraine from talks – Zelenskyy
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that if Ukraine accepts a poor territorial settlement, other parties would try to resolve remaining issues without Kyiv's involvement, he told reporters after talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, LB.ua reports.
"From our negotiations, it's clear that if Ukraine 'eats what's put on the plate' — that is, a bad territorial decision — then they'll try to settle everything else without us," Zelenskyy said. "For example, in our discussion about [a ceasefire regime], they relayed the Russian narrative again that we're supposedly preparing an offensive, that we can't be given a pause. I said: 'I just don't quite understand how we would violate the signed security guarantees with you if we have a real end to the war?'"
Trump, after speaking personally with Russian President Vladimir Putin, relayed to Zelenskyy that Moscow demands Ukraine relinquish the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Zelenskyy called it an attempt by Putin to claim victory.
Ukraine's position remains unchanged: Kyiv will not recognize its territories as part of Russia. Zelenskyy said he conveyed this to Trump, who heard him out.
The Washington Post reported that Putin told Trump he might concede the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts in exchange for Donetsk Oblast.
However, Zelenskyy said after his Trump meeting that Russia's position remains unclear: "During these talks, I wanted to understand exactly what the Russians mean. There's no clear position yet."
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