Zelenskyy would rather make no deal than force Ukrainians into unfavourable one – The Atlantic
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine would prefer to continue fighting rather than agree to an unfavourable peace deal.
Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with The Atlantic
Quote from Zelenskyy: "I think there is no greater victory for Trump than to stop the war between Russia and Ukraine."
Details: Zelenskyy added that for US President Donald Trump, the most advantageous scenario would be to end the war before the US midterm elections.
The Atlantic wrote that Zelenskyy "knows well what motivates Trump". However, Simon Shuster, the author of the interview, also noted that the Ukrainian president is "a realist when it comes to the odds that Trump actually forces the Russians to compromise".
Shuster added that during the hour he spent with Zelenskyy, the president displayed a trait that "has been core to his character for years, even decades – his stubborn, sometimes-petulant habit of resisting outside pressure".
Quote from the article: "If you tell Zelenskyy he has to do something, 'he's probably going to do the opposite,' said one of his longtime advisers who, like others, spoke with me on the condition of anonymity."
Details: Shuster added that some members of Zelenskyy's inner circle are increasingly concerned that the window for a deal is closing and that Ukraine could face years of continued fighting if an agreement to end the war is not reached this spring.
Quote from the article: "But Zelenskyy told me that he would rather take no deal at all than force his people to accept a bad one.
Even after four years of intense warfare, he says he is prepared to fight on if that's what it takes to secure a dignified and lasting peace. 'Ukraine is not losing,' he insisted emphatically when I asked him to assess his position on the battlefield."
Background:
- According to a communiqué on the outcome of the trilateral talks held in Abu Dhabi on 4-5 February, the US, Ukrainian and Russian delegations discussed methods for implementing a ceasefire and monitoring the cessation of hostilities.
- Following the Abu Dhabi talks, the US and Russia have agreed to resume high-level military dialogue.
- Reuters reported that delegations from the US and Ukraine had discussed the ambitious goal of reaching a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine in March. However, the timeline may be pushed back, as there is still no consensus on territorial issues.
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