Zelensky Says Questions Remain For Allies Over Security Guarantees For Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked his world friends for their support but suggested location were questions remaining complete nan early information guarantees for his country.

Speaking astatine nan Munich Security Conference successful Germany, Zelensky many times thanked American and European friends for helping Ukraine by providing aerial defense systems that protect infrastructure for illustration powerfulness plants and “save lives.”

Previous U.S.-led efforts to find statement connected ending nan war, astir precocious 2 rounds of talks successful Abu Dhabi, nan superior of nan United Arab Emirates, person grounded to resoluteness difficult issues specified arsenic nan early of Ukraine’s Donbas business heartland that is mostly occupied by Russian forces.

Later pinch reporters, Zelensky questioned really nan conception of a free waste and acquisition area — projected by nan U.S. — would activity successful nan Donbas region, which Russia insists Kyiv must springiness up successful bid to get peace.

He besides said that nan Americans want bid arsenic quickly arsenic imaginable and that nan U.S. squad wants to motion each nan agreements connected Ukraine astatine nan aforesaid time, whereas Ukraine wants guarantees complete nan country’s early information signed first.

European nations, including nan U.K. and France, person already said they will perpetrate troops to Ukraine to guarantee its early security. The U.S. is besides expected to beryllium involved, and discussions are ongoing astir nan quality of American support.

Russian officials are opposed to immoderate overseas unit beingness successful Ukraine, Zelensky suggested, because he says Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to person nan opportunity to onslaught Ukraine again.

Zelensky besides said he was amazed that Moscow had replaced nan caput of its negotiating squad earlier different information of U.S.-brokered talks and suggested nan move was a deliberate effort astatine delaying negotiations.

During nan talks, Russian officials person insisted Ukraine springiness up much territory successful nan eastbound of nan state to extremity nan war. But Zelensky told nan Associated Press that it was “a small spot crazy” to propose Ukraine retreat from its ain territory aliases speech it.

Thousands of Ukrainians person been killed defending nan country’s Donbas region, he said, noting that 200,000 group unrecorded location and it would not beryllium acceptable to efficaciously manus them complete to Russia.

On nan conception of a free economical zone, Zelensky expressed skepticism. “Imagine” he said, if overseas soldiers patrolled nan area and Putin provoked them and they left. In that case, he said, location could beryllium a “big occupation” of Ukraine and a batch of losses.

If Putin is fixed immoderate opportunity for victory, “we don’t cognize what he will do next,” Zelensky said.

Such a model, Zelensky told nan AP, would person “big risks” for Ukraine and for immoderate state that committed to guaranteeing Ukraine’s security. But he said he was fresh to talk it arsenic it could beryllium important arsenic a discuss successful speech for securing support to reconstruct Ukraine.

During negotiations, Zelensky said, Moscow has to judge monitoring of a ceasefire and return immoderate 7,000 Ukrainian prisoners of warfare successful speech for much than 4,000 Russian prisoners held by Ukraine.

Earlier Saturday, drone strikes killed 1 personification successful Ukraine and different successful Russia, Ukrainian officials said, up of caller talks adjacent week successful Geneva aimed astatine ending nan war.

An aged female died erstwhile a Russian drone deed a residential building successful nan Black Sea larboard metropolis of Odesa, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said.

In Russia, a civilian was killed successful a Ukrainian drone onslaught connected a car successful nan separator region of Bryansk, location Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said.

Russia-installed authorities said a Ukrainian airstrike connected a colony Saturday wounded 15 group successful nan Russian-occupied Luhansk region.

The attacks came a time aft a Ukrainian rocket onslaught connected nan Russian separator metropolis of Belgorod killed 2 group and wounded five, according to location Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.