Zelensky: “We don’t need a second Yalta” on Trump’s peace plans

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with CNN that Kyiv does not want a “second Yalta”, meaning deals on Europe’s fate struck without the Europeans themselves. He was responding to Donald Trump’s remarks about an imminent “big, beautiful deal” on Ukraine and the whole of Europe. According to Zelensky, the US proposals may turn out to be not just unfavourable, but dangerous.

What Kyiv objects to

Zelensky admitted that he does not know all the details of the plan: the Americans have not yet disclosed its content. Even so, he fears that the proposals do not serve Ukraine’s interests. “For me it is not easy. It may even be dangerous,” he said, adding that he sees no sign that Russia is ready to end the war.

He said Moscow proposes starting with a new security architecture in Europe rather than with an end to its aggression against Ukraine. This, Zelensky believes, is more dangerous for the European Union than for Ukraine itself: “We are not members of the EU, we are only on our way there. And we are not members of NATO. This is dangerous for all of us, we all live in Europe. We don’t want a second Yalta. We don’t want Russia to divide us.”

Territory is a red line

Sovereignty and territorial integrity, Zelensky stressed, are the key issue for any independent country. “If you want to be a free and democratic country, your sovereignty must be respected at least by your neighbours,” he said.

The president again rejected territorial concessions to Russia: “We are not ready to leave Donbas and give up our territory. Even the part that is temporarily occupied. It is not Russian territory.”

What’s next: Abu Dhabi, China and Florida

An end to the conflict and the postwar settlement are set to be the subject of a trilateral meeting of US, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, which will take place next week in Abu Dhabi. A week after that, Trump intends to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China.

In mid-December, Florida will host the G20 summit, which Russia also attends. Trump personally invited Vladimir Putin, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tempered expectations. According to the TASS news agency, he said: “I wouldn’t go that far,” adding that “such trips always involve major logistical difficulties.”

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz