In an interview with CNN journalist Jake Tapper, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a sharp warning to Washington and European capitals regarding the concept of a new European security architecture being formed by Donald Trump's administration. According to the Ukrainian leader, he does not yet have full details of the American project, but already sees significant risks in it both for the European continent as a whole and for Ukraine in particular. The statement came against the backdrop of active White House diplomatic efforts: on November 5, Trump held a meeting with Vladimir Putin's envoy Kirill Dmitriev, and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi for November 10–11.
"Russia is not ready to do anything"
The central thesis of Zelenskyy's interview was an assessment of Moscow's readiness for a peaceful settlement. "I don't see any demonstrations and signals from Russia that it is ready to do something. I think that's why it's dangerous. When they don't want to talk about how to end this war—I mean Russia—and want to start with a new security architecture in Europe, that's dangerous," the president stated. Thus, Kyiv emphasizes that discussing long-term security guarantees without a preliminary cessation of hostilities and defining the conditions for ending the conflict creates conditions for entrenching a status quo that benefits exclusively one side.
The Threat of 'Yalta 2' and the Principle of Sovereignty
Zelenskyy directly referred to the historical precedent of the 1945 Yalta Conference, stating that Ukraine does not want a repeat of such a scenario. "We all live in Europe. We don't want there to be a Yalta 2. We are not ready for such a format. We don't want Russia to divide us," he stressed. At the same time, the president reminded that Ukraine is not a member of either the EU or NATO, but, according to him, any security agreements on the continent also affect Kyiv. "If you want to be a free, democratic country, you need at least your sovereignty and territorial integrity to be respected," Zelenskyy added, designating these principles as inviolable for any independent state.
Context: The White House Diplomatic Sprint
Zelenskyy's statement came at a time when the Trump administration is demonstrating accelerated paces of diplomatic work surrounding the Ukrainian settlement. In addition to the meeting with Dmitriev on November 5, Special Envoy Witkoff announced the holding of trilateral talks between Ukraine and Russia mediated by the US on November 10–11 in Abu Dhabi. According to him, the agenda will include post-war security measures, de-escalation mechanisms, humanitarian efforts, and further steps toward peace. In parallel, Special Envoy Jared Kushner stated that the US aims not only to end the war, but also to create a sustainable security architecture capable of preventing a repetition of hostilities.
What This Means for Kyiv
Zelenskyy's position, expressed in the CNN interview, captures a key divergence in approaches: Washington, judging by Kushner and Witkoff's statements, views the security architecture as a framework document that can be agreed upon at a multilateral level, while Kyiv insists that any guarantees make no sense without a preliminary definition of ceasefire conditions and respect for territorial integrity. The mention of 'Yalta 2' indicates that Kyiv fears a scenario in which Ukraine's fate will be discussed behind its back—between Moscow, Washington, and European capitals—without Kyiv's full participation. The Abu Dhabi meeting on November 10–11 will be the first practical test of how much the American initiative takes these reservations into account.
