Zelensky urges 'fair' negotiations

Zelensky slams US-Russia talks excluding Kyiv, calls for fair peace efforts with EU, Turkey, and UK involved.


AFP February 19, 2025
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a joint press conference, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, as he visits at the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant near the town of Netishyn, in Khmelnytskyi region, Ukraine February 13, 2025. Photo: Reuters

print-news
Listen to article
ANKARA:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday criticised US-Russia talks for excluding Kyiv, saying efforts to end the war must be "fair" and involve EU including Turkey.

He spoke after a nearly three-hour meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

"Ukraine, Europe in a broad sense -- and this includes the European Union, Turkey, and the UK -- should be involved in conversations and the development of the necessary security guarantees with America regarding the fate of our part of the world," Zelensky said.

Any efforts to broker an end to the conflict should be "fair", he said, slamming the US-Russia talks in Riyadh earlier on Tuesday and reiterating his opposition to "decisions without Ukraine on how to end the war in Ukraine".

He said he had not been invited to the Riyadh talks and was postponing his own trip to the Saudi capital, where he had been expected on Wednesday, pushing the date back to March 10.

Standing beside Zelensky, Erdogan offered Turkey as the "ideal host" for any talks on ending the conflict.

"Turkey will be an ideal host for the possible talks between Russia, Ukraine and America in the near future," he added, saying the Istanbul talks had been "an important reference point and the platform where the parties came closest to an agreement"

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ