Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that a “grand deal” previously mentioned this week by US President Donald Trump to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war could be dangerous.
“Between us, for me, it is not straightforward and could be dangerous,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with CNN, an excerpt of which was published on Friday, responding to a question about what he knew regarding the framework of a potential agreement mentioned by his American counterpart.
On Thursday, Trump confirmed to reporters in the Oval Office that he had met with Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who had attended an event at the White House hosted by US First Lady Melania Trump earlier that day.
Asked what they had discussed, Trump said: “I can’t tell you what I discussed. But I’m just telling you that there will be a deal, it will be a grand deal… It will involve more than just Ukraine, and I may even say it could involve all of Europe. It will be a big, beautiful deal, and everybody will be very excited.”
In his Friday interview, Zelenskyy said there were numerous proposals and discussions underway, some of which he described as “useful and very important.” He also reiterated his support for a ceasefire in Ukraine, followed by de-escalation.
“We have not yet seen any kind of demonstration or signal from the Russian side that they are ready to do anything. … That is why it is dangerous,” he said.
Zelenskyy argued that when Russia is unwilling to discuss a settlement, it seeks to initiate dialogue by focusing on a new security architecture in Europe, which he believes would be dangerous for everyone in Europe, particularly the European Union.
“We do not want another Yalta, Yalta 2. We are not ready for such a format. We do not want to be divided by Russia,” he added, referring to the 1945 Yalta Conference, during which Allied powers discussed the post-World War II order in Europe.
The Ukrainian president also stressed that sovereignty and territorial integrity are fundamental principles for every independent country, emphasizing that its neighbours must, at a minimum, respect these principles for Ukraine to become a “free and democratic country.”
