The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed danger from being cut out of U.S.-Russia negotiations to end the Ukraine war during his exclusive The Associated Press interview on February 1, 2025. Zelenskyy demanded Washington and Kyiv must speak directly to create valid ceasefire terms because he believes Russia controls the conflict with no desire for concessions.
U.S. President Donald Trump disclosed that American and Russian officials started diplomatic talks for resolving the ongoing conflict. Trump briefly suggested that talks regarding the conflict would be “very serious” yet failed to provide many specifics. The Ukrainian leader reported current minimal exchanges with the Trump administration as he pursued tangible discussions in person to implement agreements.
The president of Ukraine emphasized speedily adopting a single strategy after Russia continued its military advance and Ukraine confronted significant personnel deficits. The President proposed a diplomatic meeting structure with participation from Russia and Ukraine alongside the U.S. and European Union because he feared Putin would control the dialogue. 
Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian NATO membership offered allies the best security guarantee and represented a strategic victory for Trump. The French initiative to deploy European troops in Ukraine for deterrence purposes has attracted attention but Zelenskyy expresses concern because he wants more details about how the forces would be organized and guided.
Zelenskyy requested U.S. officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio to view Ukraine’s fighting conditions directly during a crucial period of the war so they could see how strong Ukrainian resistance has proven. Zelenskyy insisted that Russian actions combined with Ukrainian achievements for worldwide security must be witnessed by decision makers.
