Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday said he expects to discuss “key issues” with US counterpart Donald Trump, as efforts to settle the war with Russia went into full swing.
Zelensky was in Paris on Monday, seeking to boost European support for Kyiv, while his negotiators concluded two days of talks with the Americans in Florida, however they said some issues still remained unresolved.
“We are expecting a conversation with the president of the United States on key issues that are quite challenging,” Zelensky told a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.
He singled out the issues of territory, security guarantees, and Ukraine’s reconstruction as the most important in the settlement process.
“The territorial issue is the most difficult,” the Ukrainian said, adding that security guarantees were “very important.” He also said that Europe must be part of the discussion on Ukraine’s reconstruction.
The Ukrainian said Russia has stepped up drone and missile strikes in recent months to exert “not only psychological but also physical pressure on our population, simply to break the Ukrainians.”
“We also need to ensure that Russia itself does not perceive anything it could consider as a reward for this war,” the wartime leader said.
After holding talks with the Ukrainians, US envoy Steve Witkoff is due to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday in Moscow.
The US official has faced criticism for his approach in talks with Moscow, with an initial US plan to end the war widely seen as heeding to much of the Kremlin’s demands.
The EU has earlier said the coming week could be “pivotal” for Ukraine, while Trump expressed optimism for a potential deal to end the war.
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