Today there are red lines for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, but we must work to ensure that there are as few unresolved issues as possible. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reporters before his planned meeting with US President Donald Trump.
„Of course, today there are red lines for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. And I am sure that there are compromise proposals“, he noted. However, the president added that the enemy also has its own goals, which Ukraine knows. “All these issues are very sensitive, including the territories and the Zaporizhzhia NPP, where, as you know, my position is that we will not recognize anything legally under any circumstances“, Zelensky noted, quoted by UNIAN agency.
According to him, there will be public communication before making decisions, because the people of Ukraine are the most important. He noted that this will happen through public discussion, referendum or legislative changes.
It is crucial for Ukraine to receive legally binding security guarantees from the United States during the peace agreement with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated this to reporters, answering a question about what specific security guarantees he will ask US President Donald Trump at their meeting on Sunday, December 28. “It is very important for us to have a signal that we want legally binding security guarantees. And this depends, first of all, on President Trump. The question is what security guarantees President Trump is ready to give to Ukraine,” Zelensky noted.
The Ukrainian leader added that security guarantees should be such that Ukraine is protected. He noted that the American side raises the issue of a referendum or elections, but they certainly cannot be held under enemy attack.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the publication “Axios“ that he would propose to US President Donald Trump that the entire peace plan be submitted to a referendum if Russian leader Vladimir Putin agrees to at least a 60-day ceasefire, BTA reported.
Holding a referendum entails political and logistical risks, as well as security risks, and 60 days is the minimum period needed to prepare for it, Zelensky added in a telephone interview with the publication. The article, quoted by Ukrinform, also said that the United States is proposing a 15-year agreement, which Zelensky considers insufficient.
“I think we need more than 15 years“, he said, adding that he would consider it a “great success” if Trump agreed to this during their meeting. Zelensky said he hoped to reach an agreement with the US president on a framework for ending the war. At the same time, he noted that if the parties fail to reach a strong position on territorial issues, he will need the consent of the Ukrainian people.