Zelenskyy warns allies not to trust Putin's claim Russia wants to end war in Ukraine

Following Donald Trump's paving the way for peace talks this week, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned Western allies not to trust Vladimir Putin's claims that he wants to end the war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian president also stated that he would not accept any agreement reached without his country's participation in negotiations. These remarks come against the backdrop of the US president calling Putin, rather than Kyiv, on Wednesday and announcing that negotiations to end the three-year conflict would begin "immediately," a move that has shocked Europe.

On Thursday, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine "must negotiate from a position of strength" and with security guarantees from its allies, and warned that Putin's position should be treated with skepticism. He posted on X that he and neighboring Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk "discussed the conditions needed for Ukraine to achieve a lasting and genuine peace," and they agreed that "no negotiations with Putin can begin until a unified position is reached among Ukraine, Europe, and the United States."

Meanwhile, European leaders are generally concerned that they will be sidelined in the talks expected to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the coming months. Zelenskyy continued to reiterate the demand to put the issue of Ukraine's accession to NATO on the table – a possibility that the United States ruled out this week, and NATO leaders have also emphasized has never been offered. Zelenskyy added: "I also warn world leaders not to believe Putin's claims about being ready to end the war."

Several European leaders have expressed concern that the Western military alliance may make too many concessions to Moscow before negotiations even begin. At a press conference in Munich, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was repeatedly asked whether European allies felt overlooked. He declined to answer the question directly, but said that Putin was "difficult to predict" and that Moscow must understand that the alliance was "united." This comes after US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared on Wednesday that it was not "realistic" for Ukraine to think it could restore its borders to those before 2014, when Russia did not control Crimea.

At the same time, the Russian state news agency TASS reported that the Kremlin expects Ukraine to be involved in the negotiations "in some way," but that Moscow anticipates separate dialogues with the United States. Hegseth said on Thursday that his remarks reflected the reality on the battlefield and opened the door to possible US actions in negotiations that could be seen as concessions, including issues such as US supplies to Ukraine and the level of troop presence in Europe. "I think it's fair to say that future funding, whether it's reduced or increased, could be on the table," he told reporters in Brussels on Thursday. He added that he would not get ahead of the US president's negotiating position.

He also reiterated the White House's demand that NATO countries increase their defense spending. "Our partners must do more for the defense of Europe. We must make NATO great again. President Trump will not allow anyone to make Uncle Sam a sucker," he said. However, several Europeans have strongly expressed concerns about Trump's approach so far. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that "any agreement reached behind our backs will not work," and criticized Hegseth for trying to manage Kyiv's expectations. "Why are we giving Russia everything they want before negotiations even start?" he said. "This is appeasement. It never works."

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also said that it would be better if Washington did not make what he called concessions to Moscow before peace talks begin. French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu warned against an approach of "peace at any price," and to adhere to the Trump administration's credo of "peace through strength." Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said that Europe should not "fantasize that Trump and Putin will find a solution for all of us." But one European leader – Hungarian President Viktor Orbán – praised Trump and criticized the defense ministers' statements. Orbán said on social media: "You cannot demand a seat at the negotiating table. You have to win it!"

Hegseth also made it clear on Wednesday that the United States would not send American troops to maintain peace once any agreement is reached. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said: "There is no option of not participating in the negotiations, because we are very important in the actual implementation of security guarantees." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday that Ukraine must be "at the heart" of any negotiations to end the conflict with Russia. "It is very important that Ukraine is in as strong a position as possible, whether in discussions or in continuing to fight. There can be no negotiations without Ukraine at the heart." Amid growing optimism about a deal between Ukraine and Russia, stocks rose on major European stock markets.