Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy walks to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street, in London, Britain, August 14, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab
KYIV, Aug 17 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, speaking in Brussels on Sunday, said the current front lines in his country’s war against Russia should be the basis for peace talks.
“We need real negotiations, which means we can start where the front line is now,” Zelenskiy said, adding that European leaders supported this.
Zelenskiy was speaking ahead of a virtual meeting with European leaders and before he travels to Washington to meet with Donald Trump following the U.S. leader’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
Zelenskiy reiterated his position that it was necessary to establish a ceasefire in order to then negotiate a final deal.
“It’s important that Washington is with us,” the Ukrainian leader said. He will be accompanied by several European allies for Monday’s talks with Trump.
Zelenskiy said that Ukraine did not yet know all the demands made by Putin at the meeting with Trump on Friday, adding that it would take a long time to go over them — and that this was not possible under “the pressure of weapons”.
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The heads of Britain, Italy, Finland and France will join Ukraine’s president who is under U.S. pressure to accept a quick deal to end Russia’s war on terms that would be hugely difficult to accept.
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