Zelenskyy insists on guarantees ahead of Trump meeting after US president says Ukraine can ‘forget about’ joining Nato

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of “guarantees of peace and security” ahead of his anticipated talks in Washington on Friday.

“Today involved significant international efforts,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address on Wednesday. “Our teams are working closely with the United States as we prepare for negotiations.”

He underscored that ensuring peace and security is key to preventing Russia from further disrupting the lives of other nations.

Regarding his upcoming meeting with Donald Trump, Zelenskyy stated: “For me, and for all of us around the world, US support must continue. Strength is essential on the path to peace.”

Trump confirmed that Zelenskyy would visit the White House on Friday to sign a rare earth minerals agreement, intended as a means to fund US military aid for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion. He described the agreement as a “very big deal” that would help the US “get money back.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Zelenskyy stressed that without future security assurances for Ukraine, there would be no “just peace” or ceasefire. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed that a minerals deal had been reached and that Washington would commit to helping Kyiv secure security guarantees.

However, Trump made it clear that the US would not extend broad security commitments to Ukraine as part of the agreement. “I’m not making far-reaching security guarantees,” Trump said during his first cabinet meeting, adding, “We’re going to have Europe handle that.” He also insisted that Ukraine “can forget about” joining NATO.

Following his visit to Washington, Zelenskyy is expected to travel to the UK this weekend, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host a summit of European leaders to discuss defense, according to the PA news agency.

Meanwhile, a planned meeting between the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been canceled due to scheduling conflicts, according to the Associated Press. However, European officials expressed surprise at the cancellation, as Kallas had previewed the talks earlier this week.

Separately, Russian and US diplomats will meet in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss restoring their respective diplomatic missions. The US delegation will be led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter, while Russia will be represented by Aleksandr Darchiyev, director of the North Atlantic Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The US State Department confirmed that the Istanbul talks will not address Ukraine. “To be clear, there are no political or security issues on the agenda. Ukraine is not a topic of discussion,” a spokesperson said.

They added that the discussions would focus on the operations of embassies in Moscow and Washington, as well as Russian consulates in New York and Houston, but would not cover Russia’s mission to the United Nations.

“The constructiveness of these talks will become clear quickly—either issues will be resolved, or they won’t,” the spokesperson noted. “We will soon see whether Russia is truly willing to engage in good faith.”