Zelensky: Meeting by Trump and Putin would be dangerous

Zelensky: Meeting by Trump and Putin would be dangerous

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, warned that it would be "dangerous" if his US colleague Donald Trump would meet with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelensky admitted that he had no guarantees from Trump that he was first taken into account in the peace talks.

The concerns of Ukraine

Zelensky said in a week in which a phone call between Putin and Trump triggered concern in Kiev, as it increased the fear that Ukraine was excluded from the negotiations. In addition, the White House played down the prospects for a NATO accession of Ukraine.

Zelensky's concerns regarding Trump and Putin

In conversation with Christiane Amanpour from CNN during the Munich security conference on Saturday, Zelensky said that he was "not happy" that Trump's first call went to Putin. However, the Ukrainian leader warned that it would be even more "dangerous" if Trump meets with the Russian president.

urgent need for action

Trump has not promised that he would first sit down with Zelensky, the Ukrainian President added. However, the US President understood that an "urgent meeting" was necessary to discuss "concrete plans" to terminate the war, continues Zelensky.

Putin's influence on NATO and peace talks

In an exchange that made the audience laugh, Zelensky admitted to having said Trump that Putin was afraid of him. "I said Trump that Putin was afraid of him and he listened to me. And now Putin knows it," said Zelensky with an ingenious smile.

The Ukrainian President added that Putin apparently had the greatest influence on NATO and emphasized that peace talks to terminate the conflict cannot take place without Kiev's participation. "At the moment the most influential NATO member Putin seems to be-because his moods have power to block NATO decisions," said Zelensky.

No decisions without Ukraine

"Ukraine will never accept agreements that are made behind our back without our participation. And the same rule should apply to all of Europe," he added. "No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine. No decisions about Europe without Europe. Europe must have a place at the table if decisions about Europe are made," said Zelensky.

a new chapter in transatlantic relationships

Zelensky warned that the times when America guaranteed to support Europe were over. "A few days ago President Trump told me about his conversation with Putin. He didn't even mention that America needs Europe at this table. That says a lot," he said.

"The old days are over - when America only supported Europe from Tradition," he added.

The future of European security

The Ukrainian leader spoke one day after the sharp criticism of the US Vice President JD Vance to the European allies at the security conference, in which hardly to Ukraine and a possible solution for Russia.

"Yesterday in Munich the US Vice President made it clear-decades of the old relationship between Europe and America. From now on everything will be different, and Europe has to prepare for it," said Zelensky.

call to a united European military

The Ukrainian President demanded a united European armed forces and recognized that the United States may no longer provide military support as they once did. "Let us be honest - now we cannot rule out the possibility that America in affairs in affairs that threaten it could say a 'no'. Many leaders have spoken about Europe that needs their own military structure - a European army," he emphasized.