Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sounded steadfast about his country’s place in any plans to end its war with Russia during an in-depth interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” which aired on Sunday.
Amid reports that America’s top diplomats are soon set to meet with Russian representatives to try and broker a peace deal, Zelenskyy said Ukraine must have a seat at the table.
“I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine, never,” Zelenskyy told moderator Kristen Welker while in Germany for the Munich Security Conference on Friday. “This is the war in Ukraine, against us, and it’s our human losses.”
While Zelenskyy seemed unequivocal about his nation having a say in how the conflict ends, President Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said that European leaders’ chance to control negotiations had passed.
NBC News
Referring to efforts led by France and Germany back during the Obama administration, Kellogg said during a Saturday event attended by top diplomats and prime ministers, “They failed miserably. So we’re not going to go down that path.”
Despite suggesting he may reject a deal made without Ukraine’s input, Zelenskyy said he believes Trump has a unique sway on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Though he maintained that Putin “doesn’t want any peace,” Zelenskyy told Welker he thinks Russia’s leader is “a little bit scared” of Trump.
“I think the president has this chance, and he’s strong, and I think that really he can push Putin to peace negotiations,” he said.
While Zelenskyy appeared adamant about Ukraine’s role in negotiations, he admitted it would be hard for his nation to “survive” without American resources backing it.
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“It will be very, very, very difficult,” he told Welker, adding that the country would have a “low chance” without America’s support.
Over the past three years, U.S. military aid for Ukraine came with few strings attached. Earlier this week, however, Trump declared any further wartime investments would hinge on whether Ukraine was willing to supply some of the region’s “valuable rare earths” in exchange.
