En route to America, Zelensky shares his top priority for upcoming meeting with Trump
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details.
Ukraine’s future hinges on Western security guarantees, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on Dec. 27 as he was en route to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss a peace proposal.
Security guarantees for Ukraine will be at the forefront of these talks, Zelensky said. Without them, Ukraine cannot take any steps towards peace or hold presidential elections, which Trump's administration has pressured Zelensky to implement.
"If the American side raises the issue of a referendum or elections, this absolutely cannot take place under the conditions in which we are living today — particularly regarding air attacks," Zelensky said, adding that he is "politically ready" for elections.
"I'm not clinging to my chair," Zelensky said, answering journalists' questions through a WhatsApp group managed by his press service.
Before meeting Trump on Dec. 28, Zelensky had a stopover in Canada to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and hold an online meeting with European and NATO leaders. Zelensky will present allies with his 20-point peace proposal, a revised version of a 28-point plan drafted in November by Trump’s negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Zelensky and Carney held bilateral talks, and Canada pledged an additional $1.8 billion in economic aid to Ukraine. European leaders also said after the conference called that they shared Zelensky's view on the importance of security guarantees.
"All participants in the discussions ... agreed that security guarantees for Ukraine are crucial," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on social media after the call. "These guarantees must be concrete and reliable. Such guarantees would also mean a safer Poland."
European leaders will resume talks following the meeting between Trump and Zelensky, Tusk added.
The meeting with Trump will take place at his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, at 1 p.m. EST, or 8 p.m. Kyiv time, on Dec. 28.
Zelensky will be joined by Ukraine's secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, Economy Minister Oleksii Sobolev, chief of Ukraine's General Staff Andrii Hnatov, Non-Staff Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office Oleksandr Bevz, and First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya.
"The most important thing — if we take any steps — is that security guarantees must be strong and that we are protected," Zelensky said.
His comments come right after another mass attack Russia launched at Ukraine on the morning of Dec. 27. The 10-hour-long attack primarily targeted Kyiv, injuring dozens and killing at least one person in the capital.
Zelensky said that progress has been made between Kyiv and Washington, with the U.S. side open to discussing security guarantees. Now, both Witkoff and Kushner better understand Ukraine’s situation following meetings with the Kyiv delegation, he added.
But the final trigger remains with Trump, and Zelensky said it’s still not clear what the American leader is prepared to give Ukraine. Zelensky noted that while Kyiv’s relationship with Trump’s administration has improved, Washington’s relationship with Moscow is "complicated."
Trump recently told the New York Post that he thinks there’s a good shot at reaching peace, saying he believes Russia wants to come to an agreement. But Moscow has shown little indication that it's ready to come to the table.
"We want sustainable peace. One that is safe for the entire world. If someone — the United States or Europe — is on Russia’s side, that means the war will continue," Zelensky said.
