Ukraine could negotiate with Russia after it seals security guarantees from other states - Zelensky
Ukraine could sit down at the negotiation table with Russia once it has security guarantees from other nations.
That’s according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who spoke with CBS, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“Now we're interested in real, enforceable guarantees. Can be five countries, guarantors. Maybe even three will have a full-fledged defense for Ukraine will be involved to protect Ukraine. Then we can sit down around the table with Russia and then only I understand what this dialogue is about with Russia,” Zelensky said.
According to the president, security guarantees should include a circle of countries who will be supporting Ukraine, and in case Russia goes for another act of aggression against his nation, “these leaders in these countries will be assisting Ukraine in different capacities, following certain security conditions that have to be agreed between these security guarantor states.”
As noted by the president, Ukraine will take a non-nuclear, non-bloc status, neutral status, but at the same time, gain membership in the European Union.
“I need legal, powerful guarantees where there was a description about the weapons, human factor, sanction policy and preventive type of response,” Zelensky explained, adding that sanctions really are important but they are unable to stop Russian aggression.
“Because if tomorrow the war starts again, and only sanctions will have been introduced, well, that's about nothing,” the president stressed.
Zelensky noted that as of today, “we have not received them (security guarantees - ed.) yet from anyone and we have to get them.
"I would like to thank the United States and Biden administration and their bipartisan support in everything they're doing for us. But nevertheless, the United States has not provided the security guarantees to us," Zelensky said.
At the same time, the Ukrainian leader underlined that the United States “is our strategic partner and they are supporting us. But security guarantees is when you have an enforceable document.”
As Ukrinform reported earlier, on March 29, a live round of talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations was held in Istanbul. The Ukrainian side put forward a number of proposals toward ending the war, among which is signing an international agreement laying down security guarantees for Ukraine.