Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with the Turkish TV channel CNN Türk that any negotiations on resolving the conflict and determining the state's future cannot be conducted without Kyiv's direct participation. According to him, Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity are not open to discussion behind the country's back, and any agreements to end the war must be reached exclusively at a negotiating table where all direct parties to the conflict are present.
'It is Illogical to Negotiate a Country's Fate Without the Country Being Present'
'It is impossible. You cannot decide Ukraine's fate without Ukraine. That would be unfair and would lead nowhere. It is illogical to negotiate a country's fate without the presence of the country itself,' Zelenskyy emphasized on CNN Türk. He added that similar attempts to discuss the Ukrainian agenda without Kyiv's participation had been made previously by other leaders, but they yielded no practical results. The President concluded that no outside states have the right to discuss critical sovereignty issues concerning exclusively the internal affairs of independent Ukraine.
Five Years of War and Unfulfilled Moscow Military Goals
Commenting on the course of hostilities, Zelenskyy recalled the initial statements of the Russian side, which, according to him, planned to 'conquer Ukraine in three days.' 'Russia, for example, considered itself great and said it would conquer Ukraine in three days. Now we are entering the fifth year of war. For five years, Russia has been unable to conquer Ukraine,' the Ukrainian leader stated. Thus, he highlighted the failure of Russian military objectives throughout the entire period of the conflict.
Context: Preparations for a Possible Trilateral Summit
Zelenskyy's statements came against the backdrop of discussions regarding a potential meeting between the leaders of the US, China, and Russia. Earlier, China reported a lack of official information regarding the organization of talks involving Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin. Subsequently, the Kremlin announced the beginning of preparations for a trilateral summit involving the heads of the three states. Meanwhile, as the German president noted, Xi Jinping does not intend to discuss Ukraine during potential talks with Trump and Putin.
Readiness for Direct Dialogue
In the same interview, Zelenskyy announced his readiness to meet with Vladimir Putin on Turkish territory. This statement underscores Kyiv's position that any negotiations to end the conflict are possible only with the direct participation of the parties and without intermediary formats in which Ukraine's fate is discussed without its representative.
