Amid meetings to advance a possible agreement to end the war, President Volodimir Zelensky met with Donald Trump and requested a longer deadline
The government of offered “solid” security guarantees to for a period of 15 years, extendable, President Volodimir Zelensky said this Monday (29), who asked Donald Trump for a longer period.
The two leaders met on Sunday, in Florida, to advance a possible agreement to end the war, which began in February 2022 with the invasion of Russian troops into Ukrainian territory.
“I really wanted the guarantees to be longer. I told him we really want to consider the possibility of 30, 40, 50 years,” Zelensky said at a virtual news conference. Trump responded that he would think about the possibility, he added.
According to Zelensky, the which has been in force since the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, will depend on security guarantees. The law prohibits Ukrainian men aged between 25 and 60 (who can be recruited) from leaving the country unless they receive special permission.
“We all want the war to end and only then will martial law be lifted. This is the only way. However, the end of martial law will happen when Ukraine obtains security guarantees,” Zelensky told the press.
“Without security guarantees, this war cannot be considered to have truly ended,” he added. The Ukrainian president highlighted that any agreement to end the war “must be signed by four parties: Ukraine, Europe, the United States and Russia”.
Zelensky said he expected American and European officials to meet soon in Ukraine. According to him, the meeting would be a preparatory meeting for another event between European and Ukrainian leaders, before a possible summit between Donald Trump and European leaders.
“We are all firmly determined to have the meetings I mentioned take place in January. After that, I believe that, if everything progresses little by little, there will be a meeting, one way or another, with the Russians”, indicated Zelensky.
*With AFP
