On August 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky affirmed that he would not accept any peace agreement with Russia that US President Donald Trump was pushing for if a ceasefire had not been reached.
Speaking at a joint press conference with European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen, Mr. Zelensky said that Ukraine needs to be well aware of all the demands to resolve the conflict raised by Russian President Vladimir Putin when meeting Mr. Trump on August 15 in Alaska (USA).
The Ukrainian leader noted that if speculation about Russia's demands are true, Zelensky would say "it will take time to review everything," arguing that the negotiations cannot have results if the war continues.
"We need to stop the fighting and work quickly to reach a final agreement," President Zelensky said.
Mr Zelensky also ruled out the possibility of a territorial cition to Russia as part of a peace deal, citing a violation of the Ukrainian constitution despite President Trump's previous dissatisfaction with the matter.
In early August, Mr. Trump expressed concern about Mr. Zelensky's stance, saying that if the Ukrainian people and Congress supported Mr. Zelensky as the country's leader in participating in the conflict - a decision that caused so much pain and loss - why would it be necessary to have more approval just to exchange for part of the territory to bring peace?
Returning to a joint press conference with Mr. Zelensky, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that Ukraine must strengthen its defense capabilities and come a steel thorn to deal with external threats. She also pledged that the European Union (EU) will strive to strengthen Ukraine's defense industry, especially in the field of the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The EC head added that decisions on the territory "belong only to Ukraine and cannot be made without Ukraine on the negotiation table", adding that the EU will continue to try to put diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia, with a 19th package of sanctions under preparation.
Observers say that the EU's commitment to continue military aid and the Ukrainian President's tough stance could have unpredictable consequences for the peace negotiations, and could even undermine the outcome.
For its part, Russia has repeatedly rejected Ukraine's ceasefire request, saying that Kiev will take advantage of a ceasefire to rearms and gather forces, thereby continuing to heighten the conflict.
