Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has commented on the idea of a potential meeting between the leaders of the US, Russia, and China without Kyiv's participation. In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, cited by RBC-Ukraine, the head of state stated that Vladimir Putin's emergence from international isolation «has already begun» and that Ukraine wants to be kept informed if its future is on the agenda of such talks.
«Putin's gradual exit from isolation has already begun»
The journalist reminded Zelenskyy that Vladimir Putin is proposing a meeting with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping without Ukraine's involvement, and asked whether the president is concerned that the country's future might be discussed without it. «I would like to understand, in order to avoid further surprises. The question is not only whether they will meet with us or without us: unfortunately, Putin's gradual exit from isolation has already begun. This will not be the first step», Zelenskyy replied.
Demand for consultations with Ukraine
At the same time, the Ukrainian president emphasized that Kyiv does not intend to give up its right to be heard. «However, if Ukraine is on the agenda, we would like Ukraine to be consulted. I cannot comment on the rest: I do not know what they will discuss», he added. Thus, Zelenskyy effectively set a condition: any discussion of the Ukrainian agenda in the «big three» format must be accompanied by consultations with Kyiv.
Washington's position: «Russia is behaving normally»
Recall that Donald Trump has previously commented on the potential trilateral meeting. According to him, Russia is «behaving quite normally» regarding the issue of Ukraine. The American leader added that he would hold such a meeting to discuss nuclear weapons and denuclearization. These statements contrast with Zelenskyy's assessment, which interprets the very fact of preparing the conversation as a signal of Moscow's decreasing isolation.
Pressure on Washington regarding supplies
In parallel, Zelenskyy urged US senators to pressure Trump into lifting restrictions on intelligence sharing and arms supplies. According to the Ukrainian president, over the past week, Kyiv has three times failed to receive warnings from Washington about Russian ballistics. This argument underscores that for Ukraine, not only the diplomatic track remains crucial, but also practical security support.
