Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that while Ukraine wants peace, “we don’t hear compromises from Russian side. We want to hear from them something.”
Zelensky acknowledged he was feeling “a little bit” of pressure after US President Donald Trump called for him to get moving on peace talks.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky said the US had proposed a Free Economic Zone in parts of Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, under which Kyiv’s forces would have to pull back. But “we can’t just withdraw 200,000 people,” he said, asking why Ukrainians would flee now when they had not throughout the war.
Asked about the possibility of a fresh presidential election in Ukraine, which has been proposed by the US, Zelensky said that if Washington pushed it, Ukraine would need two months of a ceasefire to prepare, and then “we will go for elections.”
To sustained applause in the hall, Zelensky added: “We will also give a ceasefire to the Russians if they do elections.”
As for the coming months, Zelensky said Ukraine would support the peace process, and hoped the US would support security guarantees for his country. He looked forward to greater European involvement in the process, and progress towards EU membership was also a priority.
At the same panel, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that “to stay strong in this fight, we have to realize the Russians are not winning this,” and were making gains “so small that it’s almost not relevant.”