Volodymyr Zelensky met with the coalition of the willing. An important declaration was made
“No one is interested in a third Russian invasion. Currently, Ukraine's defense support is especially important because Russia does not stop its attacks, and the protection of life must be greater so that diplomacy can lead to a just peace,” President Zelensky wrote in the Telegram messenger.
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What declarations were made during the meeting with Zelensky?
Who represented Poland at the meeting?
What did Zelensky say about the elections in Ukraine?
What topics were discussed during the video conference?
The President of Ukraine met with the coalition of the willing. A declaration was made
Zelensky attached a recording of the meeting to his entry. — We are ready to cooperate with President Trump in any form. And if President Trump talks about the elections in Ukraine more often, I want to say it completely openly: we can try to hold elections, said the head of the Ukrainian state.
Zelensky stressed that holding elections in Ukraine during the war requires a ceasefire. — There must be a ceasefire — at least for the duration of the electoral process and voting. This is what needs to be discussed. Honestly, here in Ukraine, we think America should talk to the Russian side about this, he said.
Wartime elections are prohibited by Ukrainian law, but Zelensky, whose term expired in 2024, is again under pressure from President Trump to hold them.
On Wednesday, Trump said in an interview with Politico that the president of Ukraine “has to start accepting” peace proposals because he is losing the war, and added that Zelensky “has to be a realist.” — I wonder how long it will be before they hold elections. It's democracy. (…) They haven't had elections for a long time. They are losing a lot of people, said the US president.
Zelensky announced on Tuesday that he is ready to hold elections in the country and if Ukraine receives security guarantees for this period, the vote could take place in 60-90 days.
One of the topics is the release of Russia's frozen assets
Leaders from the countries participating in the coalition of the willing discussed on Thursday during a virtual meeting progress in initiating the process of releasing Russia's frozen assets, said the office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who led the talks together with French President Emmanuel Macron.
It was reported that all participants in the video conference “agreed that this is a breakthrough moment for Ukraine, its citizens and for security that unites everyone in the entire Euro-Atlantic region.”
According to reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky informed allies about ongoing Russian attacks that are killing innocent civilians and destroying key infrastructure.
The leaders then discussed significant progress in dismantling the Russian war machine through coordinated implementation and enforcement of sanctions against Russia, as well as by increasing support for Ukraine. “As Ukraine enters its fourth winter of fighting, leaders agreed on the importance of continued funding for military support,” the statement read.
The Downing Street office reported that Prime Minister Starmer said that “the UK will continue to work closely with partners to keep pressure on Russia while providing vital support to Ukraine for as long as necessary.”
Poland was represented by Radosław Sikorski
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski on behalf of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. In a post on Platform X about this meeting, he stated that in the Ukraine case “the only solution is a true, lasting and just peace.” “Europe has solid cards in its hands. It's high time to use them,” he added.
Maciej Wewiór, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told PAP that the video call lasted about two hours and was attended by over 30 participants. He added that most of them were leaders and prime ministers of the coalition countries. — Deputy Prime Minister Sikorski participated there on behalf of Prime Minister Donald Tusk and also presented our position – said the spokesman for the Ministry of Diplomacy.
— During the conversation, the need for unity of the coalition of willing people and the need to coordinate activities before the upcoming decisions that will have to be made were emphasized, Wewiór emphasized. In the near future, the leaders of EU countries will face, among others: summit of the European Council, during which further support for Kiev will be discussed, including the issue of using Russian assets frozen in European accounts.
The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that Thursday's videoconference meeting also served to update knowledge about the progress of talks on Russia's aggression against Ukraine and peace talks. — The issue of the formats of the talks and the involvement of various entities in conducting these talks was also raised, he noted.
