The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that a meeting with his American counterpart, Donald Trump, is a prerequisite for engaging in dialogue with Moscow in one form or another. He made this remark during an interview with the Associated Press, as reported by Tengrinews.kz, citing RBC.
"I believe that first and foremost we [should] hold a meeting with him (Trump - ed.), and this is important. And, by the way, this is what all of Europe wants," Zelensky said.
According to him, after contacting the American leader, "we should move toward some format of negotiations with the Russians."
Zelensky expressed his desire to see Ukraine, Russia, the USA, and the European Union at the negotiating table.
"I think it would be fair and effective. But how everything will unfold? I don't know," the Ukrainian president remarked.
Zelensky also continued to emphasize the necessity of Ukraine's accession to NATO.
"I truly believe that these are the cheapest security guarantees that Ukraine can receive, the cheapest for everyone," he explained.
He added that Kyiv's joining the alliance would be "a significant victory for Trump," as it would demonstrate that the USA decides who gets to be in NATO, not Russia. Moreover, the bloc would gain access to 800,000 Ukrainian soldiers.
If Ukraine is offered other security guarantees, it should receive a sufficient amount of weapons from the USA and Europe, and support for its own defense industry is also needed, Zelensky noted.
Previously, Trump has repeatedly stated that he is open to contacting Russian President Vladimir Putin, including meeting him. Putin has expressed similar sentiments. However, no specific arrangements for a meeting or phone call between the two leaders have been reported yet.
Earlier, Putin stated that he considers Zelensky an illegitimate president because his term expires in May 2024, which means he does not have the right to sign a peace agreement.
