The Kremlin has vowed to involve Ukraine in the peace talks amid fear of a “dirty deal” between the US and Russia.
According to BBC, after President Volodymyr Zelensky and the European Union expressed the fear of a deal without Kyiv, Russia on Thursday, February 13, 2025, confirmed that “of course” Ukraine will take part in any peace deal negotiations.
The TASS news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that Ukraine "will, of course, one way or another, be taking part in the negotiations. There will be a bilateral Russian-American track of that dialogue and a track that will be associated with the involvement of Ukraine.”
The European Union foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, cautioned against a “quick fix” and a “dirty deal” to end the war and emphasised that no peace deal will be implemented until Europe and Ukraine are on the table for talks.
Moreover, after a confirmation from Russia, the Ukrainian president said that he has “warned world leaders against trusting Putin’s claims of readiness to end the war."
In a statement on X, he wrote that he spoke with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and emphasised the need for Ukraine to "negotiate from a position of strength, with strong and reliable security guarantees. NATO membership would be the most cost-effective for partners. Another key guarantee is serious investment in Ukraine’s defence industry."
Zelensky later also announced that Ukraine will not accept any peace deal decided by the United States and Russia alone.
