On December 27 local time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has a clear “red line” on territorial issues as well as the issue of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. He stressed that Ukraine will never legally recognize Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territory under any circumstances. In addition, he emphasized that security guarantees remain a pivotal issue, adding that “no compromise is possible without the provision of security guarantees for Ukraine”. Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine has made numerous concessions, which are reflected in the “20-point Peace Plan”, and the country is willing to take all feasible measures to end the conflict.
Zelenskyy said that any potential decisions involving sensitive issues will only be made following consultations with Ukrainian society, namely through discussions, referendums or legislative amendments. He also pointed out that holding elections or referendums is impossible at present, given that Ukraine is under Russian attacks and the conflict is still ongoing.
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine hopes to obtain legally binding security guarantees from the United States, and he will discuss the issue of security guarantees during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
On the same day, Zelenskyy said he expects to hold direct talks with leaders of European countries, the Canadian Prime Minister and the U.S. President on December 27 and 28. En route to his visit to the United States, he will stop over in Canada for a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister David Cameron, and hold online talks with European leaders to consult on the details of the documents to be discussed with the U.S. President. He also anticipated that his meeting with Trump on December 28 will be held in public, saying, “I believe our meeting will be open to the media”.
