ALBAWABA-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly stated that Ukraine will not surrender its land or accept Russian colonization, following his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara.
He also demanded that the U.S. hold negotiations in Kyiv, not elsewhere, in reference to the recent U.S.-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia.
The Riyadh meeting, attended by U.S. Secretary of State Pete Hegseth and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, marked the first high-level talks between the two nations in five years.
However, neither Ukraine nor European representatives were invited, a move that Kyiv strongly condemned.
Zelensky dismissed the meeting's legitimacy, stating: “Ukraine knew nothing about it. Any negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine are futile.”
He emphasized that Kyiv was blindsided by the talks and only learned about them through media reports.
The Ukrainian leader also warned against a hastily negotiated peace deal, particularly one led by the Trump administration, reiterating that Ukraine would not accept any agreement made without its direct involvement.
Zelensky also rebuked U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who suggested Ukraine is unlikely to regain its 2014 borders in any future peace deal with Russia. The remarks have been widely criticized in Ukraine and Europe for undermining Kyiv’s position before negotiations even begin.
“The U.S. is saying things today that are very pleasing to Putin,” Zelensky said, warning that rushed negotiations could favor Russia. He stressed that Ukraine seeks a just solution, but this is impossible if one of the warring parties is excluded.
As concerns mount over backchannel U.S.-Russia diplomacy, European leaders held an emergency summit in Paris on Feb. 17. The meeting reflected fears that Trump and Putin could negotiate over European security without direct European involvement.
Zelensky concluded with a firm stance on Ukraine’s sovereignty: "Of course, we will reclaim everything. Respect for international law will return—if not today, then tomorrow."
