Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who visited Washington for a meeting with Donald Trump, emphasized that his country is striving to end military actions and achieve long-term peace. According to him, the whole world wants not only to end the war but also to quickly restore peace. However, this peace must be stable and long-lasting.
"We all equally want to end this war as quickly and reliably as possible. Peace must be long-lasting. Several years ago, Ukraine was forced to give up part of Crimea and Donbas. Putin used this as a springboard for new aggression. This should not happen anymore. In 1994, Ukraine was allegedly given 'security guarantees,' but this was of no use. Of course, after 2022, Ukrainians should not have given up Kyiv, Odessa, Kharkiv, and certainly not Crimea," said Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky also noted that the Ukrainian people and its fighters have achieved great success in the Donetsk and Sumy regions. He expressed his gratitude to the U.S. and Europe for their invaluable support, which is of great significance to Ukraine. In his opinion, Russia must end this war, and together with America and European partners, they can force Russia to achieve real peace.
Before Zelensky's visit to Washington, Trump stated that if Ukraine wants to end the war with Russia quickly, it must give up Crimea and NATO membership.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in an interview with NBC News, responded to a question about Crimea and other territories given up by Ukraine, emphasizing that no one is forcing Kyiv to give up these territories but also acknowledged that a peace agreement might not happen.
On August 18, an important meeting is scheduled at the White House with Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, and European leaders. According to media reports, Kyiv and Europe have not fully understood what U.S. and Russian leaders agreed upon during their three-hour talks in Alaska, so Trump is expected to personally provide them with clarifications.
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