Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made it clear on Saturday that his country will not accept any peace deals reached without its involvement.
This implicit message is directed at US President Donald Trump, who is working to end the war with Russia.
Zelenskiy emphasized that Ukraine’s armed forces alone are insufficient for the country’s security and urged Europe to create its own armed forces.
Zelenskiy’s statement came after Trump’s phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the first between US and Russian leaders since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
A future meeting between Zelenskiy and Putin is expected, likely in Saudi Arabia.
Ukraine has consistently pushed for a joint strategy with the US and Europe before any Trump-Putin meeting.