Ukraine's Zelensky Rejects Peace Deal Excluding His Participation

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly stated that Ukraine will not recognize any peace agreement regarding the ongoing war with Russia that does not involve Ukraine in the negotiations. This assertion came ahead of significant discussions scheduled to start in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between U.S. and Russian officials. Zelensky emphasized the importance of Ukraine's involvement in any talks, insisting, "We cannot recognize any things or agreements about us without us" (Reuters).

The upcoming dialogue, which marks the first significant negotiations since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, is currently raising concerns among Ukrainian officials and allies. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, seeks to assess Putin's commitment to peace. Meanwhile, Lavrov has already ruled out any territorial concessions to Ukraine.

In a related context, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has indicated the UK's willingness to provide security guarantees and potentially deploy troops to Ukraine if necessary, underscoring the heightened fears of future Russian aggression if a robust agreement is not reached (Associated Press).

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