President Volodymyr Zelensky has affirmed that Ukraine is ready to engage in peace talks, but will not withdraw troops from additional territories, as demanded by Russia.
In remarks released on Tuesday, Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is open to negotiations anywhere except Russia or its close ally Belarus, according to Reuters.
Plans for a summit in Budapest this month between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were suspended after Moscow refused to drop its demands, including the surrender of more Ukrainian territory as a precondition for a ceasefire.
Zelensky added that Ukrainian and European officials are scheduled to meet Friday or Saturday to discuss the details of a ceasefire plan. He stressed:
“This is not a plan to end the war. First and foremost, a ceasefire is needed. This is a plan to start diplomacy… Our advisers will meet in the coming days to discuss the plan’s details.”
He also expressed willingness to participate in peace talks in Hungary, despite reservations about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whom Zelensky accused of blocking progress for Ukraine.
“If results are achieved, God bless — let the peace talks be held anywhere. It hardly matters, except not in Russia, and certainly not in Belarus,” Zelensky concluded.
