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A peace proposal by the Trump administration that includes recognizing Russian authority over Crimea shocked Ukrainian officials, who say they will not accept any formal surrender of the peninsula, even though they expect to concede the territory to the Kremlin, at least temporarily. Giving up the land that was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 is also politically and legally impossible, according to experts. It would require a change to the Ukrainian constitution and a nationwide vote, and it could be considered treason. Lawmakers and the public are firmly opposed to the idea. “It doesn’t mean anything,” said Oleksandr Merezkho,...

Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will never give in to Vladimir Putin's 'ultimatums' and has cancelled a visit to Saudi Arabia as he hit out at the United States and Russia for holding talks there 'behind our backs'. 'I wonder why they believe Ukraine would accept all these ultimatums now if we refused them at the most difficult moment,' the Ukrainian President said, referring to Kyiv's refusal to bow to Moscow's demands during crisis talks at the start of the war. Zelensky pointed out that there were 'no agreements with the Russians during the occupation of Kyiv region,' nor during negotiations...

The head of NATO on Monday praised President Trump for taking the initiative to pursue an end to the Ukraine war — and knocked Europe for “complaining” instead of getting its “act together.” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, 58, who has been dubbed the “Trump whisperer,” emphasized the importance of American leadership to ending Russia’s war on Ukraine and suggested that European countries are beginning to step up because of it. “I have great trust in the American team conducting those talks. Ukraine will be part of those talks, no doubt,” Rutte told Fox News’ “The Story.” “Europe wants to...

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that his country has intelligence that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to “wage war” against NATO countries. Zelensky said, “We see how he is preparing to train mostly on the territory of Belarus.” He continued, “We know for sure that he is preparing that from the territory of Belarus this year. It can happen in summer, maybe in the beginning, maybe in the end of summer. I do not know when he prepares it. But it will happen. And at that moment. knowing that he did not succeed in...

In an interview with NBC News' Meet The Press, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told moderator Kristen Welker, “I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine, never." “This is the war in Ukraine, against us, and it’s our human losses," Zelenskyy stressed to Welker that the risk of Russia occupying Europe is 100%. "If the United States pulls out of NATO, Russia will occupy Europe," Welker repeated, to which the Ukrainian president clarified: "Not all of Europe at first; they will begin with small countries that have been in the USSR, the Soviet Union," adding...

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine reiterated in an interview that aired on Sunday that his country would “never” accept a peace deal struck by the United States and Russia if Ukraine did not have a seat at the negotiating table. In an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Mr. Zelensky sought to avoid criticisms of President Trump and instead praised his strength. He said he had told Mr. Trump during a phone call, shortly after Mr. Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia spoke for 90 minutes last week, that Mr. Putin is untrustworthy and feared Mr. Trump. Mr....

President Zelensky: "I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine. Never."

BRUSSELS (AP) — Increasingly alarmed that U.S. security priorities lie elsewhere, a group of European countries has been quietly working on a plan to send troops into Ukraine to help enforce any future peace settlement with Russia.Britain and France are at the forefront of the effort, though details remain scarce. The countries involved in the discussions are reluctant to tip their hand and give Russian President Vladimir Putin an edge should he agree to negotiate an end to the war he launched three years ago.What is clear is that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy needs a guarantee that his country's security...

“My proposal — Ukraine’s eastern border, Belarus eastern border, the eastern borders of the Baltic states, Finland’s eastern border — that is the strongest security line for all of us in Europe..."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the formation of an “Armed Forces of Europe” in a speech delivered before the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Saturday. While the Trump administration has drawn feigned outrage throughout European capitals for daring to suggest that they meet their NATO defence spending obligations, President Zelensky was hailed with applause at the Munich Security Conference as he called for an international European army. Zelensky argued that a European army would be necessary for Europe to take back its own destiny and to ensure its safety if America refused to come to its rescue.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the creation of an "army of Europe" to guard against Russia as he suggested the US may no longer come to the continent's aid. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he also said that Ukraine would "never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement" after US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to start peace talks. In a speech on Friday, in which he attacked European democracies, US Vice President JD Vance warned that Europe needed to "step up in a big way" on defence. Zelensky said: "I...

MUNICH (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday Ukraine would never accept any peace deals reached behind its back or without Kyiv's involvement - an implicit message to U.S. President Donald Trump as he strives to end the war with Russia.In a speech to the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskiy also called on Europe to create its own armed forces, urging the continent's leaders to decide their own future and saying Ukraine's armed forces alone were not enough for their security."Ukraine will never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement. And the same rule should apply to all...