Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that he wants to secure firm security guarantees from Kyiv’s Western partners, which would enable an end to the war with Russia this year.
On Tuesday, a meeting was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between U.S. and Russian officials to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. Ukraine, however, was not invited to the meeting, despite being a close ally of the United States.
Zelensky commented on this, saying, “We do not want decisions to be made behind our backs… no decision regarding how to end the war in Ukraine can be made without Ukraine.”
At a press conference on Wednesday, Zelensky emphasized, “We want security guarantees this year because we want to end the war this year.”
Previously, former U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed Ukraine’s concerns about being excluded from the U.S.-Russia talks. He stated that a deal could have been made with Russia three years ago to prevent Moscow’s attack on Ukraine.
Trump suggested, “They (Ukraine) had three years. The war should have been ended… a deal could have been reached.” He also stated that Ukraine should hold elections, as it is not a matter for Russia.
Zelensky also addressed the issue of a conspiracy to remove him from office during the war. He firmly rejected the idea, asserting that such attempts would not succeed. He criticized Trump for being caught up in Russian disinformation.
Additionally, Zelensky discussed U.S. proposals for the extraction and distribution of Ukraine’s mineral resources. He rejected an offer that would have granted the U.S. ownership of at least 50% of Ukraine’s underground mineral assets, including lithium and titanium, without any provisions regarding Ukraine’s security.