Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a04 mins<\/p>\n
info<\/p>\n
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hope for United States-brokered peace talks with Russia next week, but warned that Kyiv was being asked \u201ctoo often\u201d to make concessions and pressed his allies for \u201cclear security guarantees\u201d.<\/p>\n
Zelenskyy\u2019s speech at the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday came as US President Donald Trump seeks to broker a deal to end Europe\u2019s biggest war since 1945.<\/p>\n
Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list<\/p>\n
Ukraine and Russia, which \u2060invaded its neighbour in February 2022, have engaged in two recent rounds of talks mediated by Washington in Abu Dhabi, UAE, described by the parties as constructive but achieving no breakthroughs.<\/p>\n
The three sides are due to sit down in Geneva, Switzerland, again this week.<\/p>\n
In his speech, Zelenskyy said he hoped the trilateral talks in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday \u201cwill be serious, substantive\u201d and \u201chelpful for all of us\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut honestly, sometimes it feels like the sides are talking about completely different things,\u201d Zelenskyy said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Americans often return to the topic of concessions, and too often those concessions are discussed only in the context of Ukraine, not Russia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Ukrainian leader also argued that there would be a greater chance of ending the war if European countries had a seat at the negotiating table, something Moscow has opposed.<\/p>\n
\u201cEurope is practically not present at the table. It\u2019s a big mistake to my mind,\u201d he said. And Ukraine, he said, \u201ckeeps returning to one simple point\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeace can only be built on clear security guarantees. Where there is no clear security system, war always returns,\u201d Zelenskyy said.<\/p>\n
Among the most contentious issues in the negotiations is Russia\u2019s demand for a\u00a0full withdrawal of Ukrainian troops<\/a> from the remaining parts of Ukraine\u2019s eastern region of Donetsk that it still controls. Ukraine has rejected a unilateral pullback, while also demanding Western security guarantees to deter Russia from relaunching its invasion if a ceasefire is reached.<\/p>\n