Zelenskyy warns against exclusion from Ukraine peace talks

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday warned against any peace agreement without Kyiv's involvement, as US President Donald Trump agreed with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to "immediately" start negotiations aimed at ending the three-year-long Ukraine war.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy dismissed the idea of a peace deal being reached at the gathering. “A peace deal can’t be signed in Munich—we remember what was signed here before,” he said, referring to the 1938 Munich Agreement, which failed to deter Hitler and did not prevent World War II.

He urged against efforts to negotiate an end to the war without Ukraine’s participation. “To make a deal without us or without Europe, it’s not a good idea, and I hope that President (Donald) Trump doesn’t have this idea,” Zelenksyy said.

The Ukrainian leader also voiced frustration over NATO’s failure to bring Ukraine into the alliance despite years of discussions. “The US never saw us in NATO; they just spoke about it. They really didn’t want us in NATO. I’ve never heard we’ll be in NATO, never!” he said.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told his European counterparts in Brussels on Wednesday that the Trump administration considers a return to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders “an unrealistic objective.” He also ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine.

The Ukrainian leader emphasized Kyiv’s military strength, arguing that his country already plays a crucial role in European security. “Ukraine is not in NATO, but we have a strong army. We can strengthen NATO everywhere, and I think this is in both interests,” he said.

Zelenskyy also stressed the need for a significant military expansion if Ukraine remains outside the alliance. “If we do not join NATO, then we must double the size of our army ... We need a 1.5 million-strong army if we’re not in NATO—that’s the only real security guarantee,” he added.