Zelenskiy: Security guarantees are necessary for peace

American journalist Simon Shuster held an important interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

They discussed peace agreement issues, possible compromises to end the war, and security guarantees. After this interview, various interpretations appeared in the media.

They noted Zelenskiy’s readiness for certain compromises on the Donbass issue, but that he demands strict security guarantees in return. According to Zelenskiy, the end of the war in Ukraine could be a political victory for former US President Donald Trump.

Portraying Trump as a “politician who brought peace” might give him additional points in upcoming elections. However, Zelenskiy views this pragmatically and focuses primarily on reducing war casualties.

President Zelenskiy acknowledges that Russia has more resources, but Ukraine is ready to continue fighting to preserve its independence and territorial integrity. His position is firm: if a peace agreement includes bad terms for Ukraine, it is preferable to have no agreement at all rather than sign such a deal.

There is a possibility of compromise on the Donbass issue, but it comes at a price. Zelenskiy has chosen a strategy of not rejecting some US proposals outright.

Additionally, the possibility of holding a referendum on the peace agreement and using this process as a mechanism to legitimize it is also being discussed. However, Zelenskiy emphasizes that he will not rush into such a vote until security guarantees are clear.

The most important issue is related to security guarantees. According to Zelenskiy, if the US and Europe do not provide Ukraine with real protection guarantees, any peace agreement will not be stable.

Negotiations between the parties are ongoing in this regard, but no full agreement has yet been reached on decisive issues. The conclusion is that for Zelenskiy, the key to peace is security.

If future security guarantees are not ensured, peace may simply become a temporary pause. Therefore, in upcoming negotiations, the main discussions and disagreements are expected to revolve around this issue.