(13 Feb 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine – 13 February 2025
1. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President:
"He never mentioned in a conversation that (Russian President, Vladimir) Putin and Russia was a priority. We, today, trust these words. For us, it is very important to preserve the support of the United States of America. It is very important and I have noted it during our conversation yesterday with President (Donald) Trump. We already had three conversations with President Trump and therefore, I do not accept these rumours that it (Russia) was a priority because he initially spoke with Russia. Although it is really not very pleasant in any case, because you know, Ukrainian society, all of us and Europeans also know that Ukraine is the priority and nothing can be decided about Ukraine without Ukraine. We talked with him (Donald Trump), it was a very good conversation."
++BLACK FRAMES++
2. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President:
"For us the priority is the meeting between Ukraine and the USA and only after these meetings when there will be a plan on how to stop Putin will it be fair to talk with Russians. And it is also a very important (issue) for us, and we have not heard about it yet. We are getting signals from the Europeans and they know my attitude. I believe that the Europeans should be at the negotiating table because we are part of Europe and will be members of the European Union. It is important for us, they have strongly helped us."
++BLACK FRAMES++
3. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President:
"Minister Sybiha (Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Foreign Minister) called me and he said that in Europe there is serious concern that they are not seeing signals at the moment from the United States of America that they have a place at the negotiation table. Everyone understands that for the USA, Ukraine and Russia such a format can be implemented. But where is Europe? I am also very interested to have Europe (at the negotiation table). Today we cannot predict how all will go on. But we must be strong. We have already passed through Normandy, Minsk, and I believe that we do not have the right to enter into that river again and therefore we will be very careful. We need, allies and fair partners. At the moment when we will end the hot stage of this war."
++BLACK FRAMES++
4. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President:
"Today the main thing is that everything does not go according to Putin’s plan. He wants to do everything so that he has bilateral talks with the United States of America. We cannot accept it, as an independent country, any agreements (made) without us. I articulate this very clearly to our partners – any bilateral negotiations about Ukraine, not on other topics, but any bilateral talks about Ukraine without us – we will not accept."
++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++
STORYLINE:
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would not accept any peace negotiations with Russia that didn’t include his country.
In his first comments to journalists since US President Donald Trump held individual calls first with Russia leader Vladimir Putin and then Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian leader said the main thing was to “not allow everything to go according to Putin’s plan.”
“We cannot accept it, as an independent country, any agreements (made) without us," Zelenskyy said as he visited a nuclear power station in western Ukraine on Thursday.
Zelenskyy also said it was very important for Europe to have a seat at the negotiating table.
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