Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that US President Donald Trump's open calls for the Ukrainian side to make concessions within the peace process are unfair.
In an interview with Axios, the head of state spoke about the details of his communication with American representatives.
According to Zelenskyy, US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner told him that russia was allegedly interested in ending the war. They also recommended coordinating the position with the Ukrainian negotiating team, based on this approach, before the start of a new round of negotiations.
However, the Ukrainian President made it clear that he assessed the situation more restrainedly. He advised American representatives not to try to convince him to support a peace model that Ukrainian society could perceive as a defeat.
Zelenskyy stressed that even if it is easier for Trump to put pressure on Ukraine than on russia, a just and lasting peace cannot be built on concessions that will actually mean a victory for Kremlin leader vladimir putin.
"I hope that this is just his tactic, not a final decision," the President said, commenting on Trump's public statements.
At the same time, Zelenskyy thanked the American leader for his efforts to end the war and emphasized that personal conversations with Kushner and Witkoff are taking place without the public pressure that is heard in Trump's statements.
"We respect each other," he added, emphasizing that he is not one of those people who easily succumb to pressure.
As a reminder, the head of state also expressed his belief that Ukrainian society will not accept conditions that will mean the final loss of territories and emphasized the agreement with the United States on the mandatory holding of a nationwide referendum.
According to Zelenskyy, the scenario of complete abandonment of Donbas will cause an inevitable reaction within the country.
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