Ahead of the talks in Abu Dhabi, Zelenskyy has given an interview to Danmarks Radio in which, in his usual style, he plays Europe off against the US. He seems to forget that Europe has no seat at the table.
– It is, of course, completely unthinkable that one could bring this war to an end and discuss security guarantees from the US and Europe without Europe being involved, says Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the interview with DR reporter Victor Schrøder Friis at the presidential residence, the Mariinsky Palace, in Kyiv.
– The US, but of course Russia in particular, has been opposed to Europe’s participation, but it is not up to them to set the rules, and I believe that the US has moved closer to Europe’s position, which is a good thing, says the Ukrainian president.
Zelenskyy is pretending that he can dictate the negotiations and who should be involved. This is now the first time since February that there has been direct contact between Russia and Ukraine. Wouldn’t it have been better to keep quiet?
Instead, Zelenskyy repeats that he will not give up the Donbas. Trump said the other day that Ukraine’s geography will probably look a little different after a peace agreement. He was referring to Crimea and the Donbas. But no, says Zelenskyy, ceding an inch of land is out of the question.
US President Donald Trump has stated that Ukraine will probably emerge from the war against Russia ‘a little smaller’.
Russia is demanding the return of all the regions it has partially occupied, not least the Donbas.
What does President Zelenskyy think about this – will he cede territory?
– No, I will not cede the Donbas, replies the Ukrainian president. For he does not believe that Vladimir Putin will stop there.
– “I know he will move straight in and occupy us,” says the Ukrainian president.
Russia has not managed to conquer the whole of Donbas in five years.
Russian state media have published photos showing the delegations sitting opposite each other at a table, with the Americans seated at the head of the table. This is the first meeting between Ukraine and Russia since February. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has stated that Europe is also present in the room.
The starting point for the talks is difficult. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains DR on Tuesday, insisting that Ukraine will not cede any territory, which has been a non-negotiable demand for the Russians.
The whole of Europe?Russia, for its part, believes that the talks should focus on the security framework for the whole of Europe, a source in the Russian delegation told Reuters. The US has previously suggested that such an agreement could be on the cards, whilst Europe and Ukraine are more sceptical.
In principle, both Russia and Ukraine believe that the main topic should be security guarantees, but here too the parties are far apart.
Intelligence chiefs in the delegationsThe Ukrainian delegation is led by the country’s intelligence chief, Rustem Umerov; other members include Zelenskyy’s chief of staff and deputy chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, and Serhiy Kyslytsya, reports the AP news agency.
The Russians are led by Vladimir Medinsky, who is one of President Vladimir Putin’s closest aides. He is accompanied by, amongst others, Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, and the head of military intelligence, Igor Kostyukov. (NTB)
