Zelenskiy says Kyiv’s security guarantees will only work if the US delivers them Via Reuters

KYIV (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said late on Sunday that security guarantees for Kyiv to end Russia’s war will only be valid if the United States provides them, and he hopes to meet with President elected US Donald Trump immediately after his inauguration.

In an interview with the US podcaster Lex Fridman, Zelenskiy praised the incoming US president, who has promised to end the war quickly without explaining how, saying that the Ukrainian people hope that he will force Moscow to agree to a lasting peace.

Almost three years after the Russian invasion, the election of Trump, who returns to the White House on January 20, has raised hopes for a political decision to end the war, but also fears in Kyiv that a quick peace it can come at a high price. .

Zelenskiy used a three-hour interview published on YouTube to call out Kyiv’s NATO membership and stressed his belief that a ceasefire without a security guarantee for Kyiv would give Russia time to prepare for an attack. new.

The Ukrainian leader said that the White House under Trump has an important role to play in providing security guarantees and confirmed that he and the US president-elect saw the need for “peace with the power” to end the war.

“Without the security guarantees of the United States is impossible. I mean these security guarantees that can prevent Russian aggression,” he said.

He said he needs to sit down with Trump to find out what measures to stop Russia, and European governments also need to have a say in that process before Kyiv can sit down for direct talks with the side. of Russia.