Surprised by the new statement of Ukrainian President Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said that Ukraine would offer to exchange territory with Russia in any potential peace talks.

"There is an opinion that Europe can provide security without the United States, and I always say no. Security without the United States is not real security," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with The Guardian published on February 11.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on February 7.

President Zelensky also said he would offer Russian President Vladimir Putin Ukrainian-controlled territory in Russia's Kursk region. "We will exchange one territory for another," Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian leader said he did not know which territories he would ask for in return. "I don't know, we will see. But all our territories are important, there is no priority," he said.

Russia has announced that it has annexed five regions from Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and then Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia in 2022.

President Zelensky revealed the above intention in the context of US President Donald Trump wanting Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement with terms that could be a source of concern in Ukraine, according to AFP.

A spokesman for President Zelensky told AFP that the Ukrainian leader will meet US Vice President JD Vance on February 14 at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, as Washington pushes to end the nearly three-year-old Russia-Ukraine conflict. Mr Vance has frequently criticised US support, which has been crucial to Ukraine's efforts to resist Russia's military campaign.

President Trump confirmed on February 10 that he will soon send special envoy Keith Kellogg to Ukraine. Mr. Kellogg is the person tasked with drafting a proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to AFP.

The US president is pushing for a quick end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while President Zelensky has called on Washington to provide strong security guarantees as part of any deal.

Kyiv fears that any solution that does not include tough military commitments, such as Ukraine joining NATO or deploying peacekeepers, would give Moscow time to regroup and rearm for a new offensive.

Mr Zelensky has said he would offer US companies lucrative reconstruction contracts to persuade Mr Trump to deliver a potential deal that would benefit Ukraine.

“Those who are helping us save Ukraine will rebuild this country, with their businesses side by side with Ukrainian businesses. We are ready to discuss all this in detail,” Mr. Zelensky stressed in an interview with The Guardian .

Ukraine has some of the largest mineral reserves in Europe, and if these reserves fall into Russian hands, it would be of no benefit to the United States, according to Mr. Zelensky.

There is currently no information about the reaction of Russia or the US to the above statement by President Zelensky.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bat-ngo-voi-phat-bieu-moi-cua-tong-thong-ukraine-zelensky-185250212070127481.htm