Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on January 5 that security guarantees for Kyiv to end Russia’s war would only be effective if provided by the United States. He expressed hope to meet US President-elect Donald Trump soon after his inauguration.
In an interview with US podcaster Lex Fridman, Zelensky praised Trump, who has vowed to rapidly end the war without detailing how, saying Ukrainians were counting on him to compel Moscow to agree to a lasting peace.
Almost three years after Russia’s invasion, Trump’s election has sparked hope for a diplomatic resolution but also fears in Kyiv that a quick peace could come at a high price. Zelensky emphasized that a ceasefire without security guarantees for Kyiv would merely give Russia time to re-arm for a new attack.
The Ukrainian leader highlighted the vital role of the White House under Trump in providing security guarantees and asserted that he and Trump saw eye to eye on the need for a “peace through strength” approach to ending the conflict.
“Without the United States security guarantees are not possible. I mean these security guarantees that can prevent Russian aggression,” Zelensky said.
He stressed the need to sit down with Trump to determine a course of action to halt Russia, and emphasized that European governments also needed to have a voice in the process before Kyiv could engage in direct talks with Russia.