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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy coordinated with U.S. President Donald Trump and European partners on achieving a sustainable peace in Ukraine.
“After my conversation with President Trump, we additionally coordinated positions with European leaders. The positions are clear: we need to achieve real, lasting peace, not just another pause between Russian invasions. We must stop killings as soon as possible, end the fire both on the battlefield and in the air, and protect our port infrastructure. All Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians must be freed, and the children kidnapped by Russia returned. Thousands of our people are still held captive and must be brought home. Pressure on Russia must continue as long as the aggression and occupation persist,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
He emphasized to Trump the importance of strengthening sanctions against Russia if a trilateral meeting does not occur or if Russia continues to evade ending the war:
“Sanctions are an effective tool. Security must be reliably and long-term guaranteed with the participation of both Europe and the United States. All issues important to Ukraine must be discussed with Ukraine involved, and no matter, including territorial issues, can be decided without Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy also expressed gratitude to international partners for their support.
The discussion follows Trump’s phone call with Zelenskyy after his August 15 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, which included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff on the American side, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s adviser Yuri Ushakov on the Russian side.
After the Alaska summit, Trump told Fox News that he and Putin agreed the war in Ukraine could end with a territorial exchange and certain security guarantees from the United States, but he noted that the implementation of any agreement depends on President Zelenskyy.
European leaders welcomed Trump’s efforts toward peace and reaffirmed the need for “ironclad security guarantees” for Ukraine.
