Ukraine refuses any U.S.-Russia deal over war negotiations, insisting Kyiv must be at the table.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has outright rejected the idea of a U.S.-Russia agreement determining Ukraine’s future, insisting that any negotiations to end Moscow’s war must include Kyiv as an equal partner. His statement comes after U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in a phone call to push for immediate talks, with Trump considering a summit in Saudi Arabia to solidify a deal.
Munich Security Conference: Allies Seek Trump’s Clarity on Ukraine, NATO, and Global Crises
Zelenskyy made it clear that Ukraine would not be sidelined in discussions that determine its fate. “We, as an independent country, simply will not be able to accept any agreements without us,” he declared ahead of his meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference.
Trump, eager to secure a swift resolution, has suggested that continued U.S. aid to Ukraine could come with conditions—including access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for American military support. However, Zelenskyy remains firm that no peace talks should proceed without strong security guarantees for Ukraine and its NATO aspirations, despite Trump’s reluctance to back Kyiv’s membership in the alliance.
Meanwhile, Russia views the Trump-Putin call as a victory, signaling a shift in U.S. diplomacy. Kremlin officials have lauded Trump’s direct engagement, while Ukraine warns that trusting Putin’s so-called “readiness” to negotiate is a mistake.
As pressure mounts for a deal, the battle lines in diplomacy are being drawn—Ukraine refuses to be a pawn, and Trump’s next move will define America’s role in shaping the war’s endgame.
