Zelensky: US Won’t Support Ukraine Withdrawing from Territories It Controls

President Volodymyr Zelensky has made it clear that the United States will not support Ukraine pulling back from the territories it currently controls. Speaking to journalists, Zelensky emphasized that while ultimatums might be written, the reality on the ground matters far more. He said, “It doesn't matter what is written in the ultimatums if we are not just talking about a piece of paper, but about something that could lead to the first step, a ceasefire.” He added that even at the highest levels, the US is unlikely to back any Ukrainian withdrawal from its controlled areas.

Zelensky also stressed Ukraine’s desire for the US to remain engaged in the negotiation process, calling American involvement “important” and expressing that Kyiv does not want Washington to step back.

This comes amid growing tensions and sharp rhetoric. Earlier, US President Donald Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin on his social media platform, Truth Social, accusing him of having “gone absolutely crazy” and warning that Russia’s attempts to take over all of Ukraine would only hasten its own collapse. Meanwhile, reports from Bloomberg revealed that Putin was confident ahead of a recent phone call with Trump, expecting to seize four Ukrainian regions by year’s end and thus in no rush to agree on peace.

On the diplomatic front, Zelensky declared his openness to meeting with both Putin and Trump in any format. He told Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, “We are ready to meet at the level of leaders. The American side knows this and the Russian side knows this.” He expressed willingness for a trilateral summit with Trump and Putin together, or for a sequence of bilateral meetings if preferred: “We are ready for a Trump-Putin-Zelensky format, and we are ready for a Trump-Putin meeting, followed by a Trump-Zelensky meeting, and then the three of us together.” Zelensky said the format does not matter to him as long as talks happen.

Regarding venues, several options are on the table besides Istanbul, where previous negotiations took place. Switzerland and the Vatican are also under consideration. Zelensky noted, “The Turkish side knows we are discussing several platforms. And that we have done preparatory work regarding the Vatican and Switzerland.” While the Vatican enjoys broad international support, Zelensky acknowledged that Russia appears opposed to the Holy See as a host, a stance Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed, citing EU sanctions and other reasons.

Zelensky also underlined the importance of involving European representatives at some point in the negotiations, particularly when discussing security guarantees. “If the meeting, for example, concerns security guarantees, I strongly believe Europeans should be present,” he said. He pointed out that European countries have pledged to support Ukraine financially and militarily, making them key stakeholders in any security discussions. However, he was less certain whether this involvement should happen at the leadership level, stressing flexibility depending on the agenda.