Zelensky says Ukraine invited to Trump's proposed “Council for Peace”: “It's hard to imagine how we could be together with Russia in any kind of council”

Ukraine was invited to participate in the “Council for Peace” proposed by Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday, reports Le Monde, according to News.ro.

But it is “very difficult to imagine how we can be together with Russia in any kind of council”, stressed President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Ukrainian president made these statements to the press on WhatsApp.

Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he will go to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, held from January 19-23, only to sign an agreement with the United States on security guarantees and economic development of his country.

He was due to attend the WEF on Tuesday in the ski resort of Grisons, but decided to stay in Kiev following intensive Russian bombing overnight.

“Ukraine is ready to meet with all its partners, provided that these meetings contribute to the protection of lives and guarantee security and that they are truly effective,” he later wrote on Telegram.

“Our team has prepared everything necessary so that we can sign, with the United States, documents related to security guarantees and the reconstruction of Ukraine,” he stated.

On the other hand, the Ukrainian delegation present at the WEF met, on Tuesday morning, with the French, German and British advisers in the field of national security, the head of the delegation, Rustem Umerov, later announced.

“We harmonized our approaches regarding security guarantees and continued our diplomatic activity,” Rustem Umerov announced on Telegram.

“Further meetings with our partners are planned soon to discuss security guarantees, economic development and reconstruction of Ukraine,” he added.

Umerov participated, this weekend, in a new round of negotiations with American emissaries.

After two days of discussions in Florida, the two sides agreed, according to Umerov, to continue them in Davos.

Trump initially proposed the establishment of the Council (“Board of Peace”) when he announced last September his plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip. But an invitation sent last week to world leaders underscores the body's important role in ending conflicts globally.

A draft charter sent by the US administration to about 60 countries requires members to contribute $1 billion in cash if they want their membership to last more than three years, according to the document seen by Reuters.

On Monday, Trump said he had also invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to become a member of the Council.

Armenia announced on Tuesday that it would also join. Trump took credit for ending a long-running conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which have fought two wars since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.