The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, warned that if Donald Trump decides to withdraw support for Ukraine, Europe alone will not be able to sustain the necessary aid. In an interview with The Guardian, he explained that his country’s security largely depends on American support.
“Some people say that Europe could provide us with security guarantees without the U.S., but I always respond that no. Without the United States, those guarantees would not be real,” Zelensky stated.
Territory Exchange Proposal
Zelensky also mentioned that if Trump manages to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table, he is willing to exchange territories. Specifically, Ukraine could cede the territory it controls in Russia’s Kursk region, which it occupied six months ago in a surprise military offensive. However, it is still unclear which Russian-occupied territory Ukraine would demand in return.
“We will exchange one territory for another,” said Zelensky. “I don’t know yet which one, but all our territories are important. There is no specific priority.”
A Peace Plan or a Russian Imposition?
Trump has insisted that he wants to end the war in Ukraine, but many fear that this means forcing Kyiv to accept the demands of Vladimir Putin. Zelensky assured that he is willing to negotiate, but only if Ukraine has a position of power at the negotiating table.
To maintain Trump’s interest, Zelensky suggested that Ukraine could offer reconstruction and investment contracts to American companies. “Those who help us protect Ukraine will have the opportunity to participate in the reconstruction alongside Ukrainian companies,” he explained.
U.S. Interests in Ukraine’s Resources
In an interview with Fox News, Trump mentioned that he wants priority access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, which include some of Europe’s largest reserves of uranium and titanium. Zelensky responded in The Guardian that it would be a mistake for the U.S. to let those resources fall into Russian hands, which could benefit countries like China, Iran, or North Korea.
“It’s not just about security, but also about money. Ukraine has valuable natural resources, and we can offer our partners investment opportunities that didn’t exist before,” he stated.
According to him, this would not only create jobs in Ukraine but also generate profits for American companies.
Possible Meeting with Trump and the Munich Security Conference
When asked whether a meeting with Trump had been scheduled, Zelensky said not yet, but that teams from both countries are working to coordinate an encounter.
These statements come just before the Munich Security Conference, which begins on Friday in Germany. There, Zelensky will meet with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who has taken a highly critical stance on the war in Ukraine.
The conference’s director, Christoph Heusgen, commented that he hopes to hear proposals from both leaders to assess whether a possible peace plan exists. However, he warned that any agreement must include security guarantees for Ukraine, as Putin has ignored previous agreements such as the Bucharest Memorandum or the Paris Charter.
“The conference’s motto is ‘peace through dialogue.’ But as long as Putin does not recognize Zelensky’s government, we do not see a real basis for dialogue,” Heusgen stated.
He also emphasized that the current global situation is one of the most tense since the Cuban Missile Crisis or the construction of the Berlin Wall.
(With information from EFE)
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