Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffirmed that Ukraine will not accept any ultimatums from Russia.
Speaking in Ankara after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Zelenskyy criticized the recent U.S.-Russia peace talks, which he claimed were conducted without Ukraine’s involvement.
Zelenskyy expressed frustration over the negotiations, stating, “It feels like the U.S. is now discussing the ultimatum that Putin set at the start of the full-scale war. Once again, decisions about Ukraine are being made without Ukraine. I wonder why they believe Ukraine would accept these ultimatums now if we rejected them at the most difficult moment?”
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump has blamed Zelenskyy and European leaders for prolonging the conflict. In response to Zelenskyy’s complaints about being excluded from the Riyadh meeting, Trump criticized the Ukrainian leader, suggesting he should not have allowed the war to begin in the first place.
Despite these tensions, Zelenskyy, with the backing of European leaders, remains committed to reclaiming occupied eastern and southern regions through diplomatic efforts, asserting, “They will be Ukrainian. There can be no compromise.”
According to reports, Zelenskyy was scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia on Wednesday but postponed the trip to avoid lending legitimacy to the U.S.-Russia talks.
