Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared he will reject any peace deal negotiated by Presidents Trump and Putin, instead vowing to continue fighting the war.
“I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine, never,” Zelenskyy told NBC “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker on Friday in Munich, Germany. “This is the war in Ukraine, against us, and it’s our human losses.”
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Zelensky also claimed Ukraine can still win the war by defeating Russia militarily, saying “Of course, yes. But it’s many losses,. So we understand how many. I think it’s too much. And I’m not sure that with such speed. If our partners do not help, support, it will be difficult. It will be long. Longer than it can be.”
Efforts to broker peace in Ukraine took center stage this week at the Munich Security Conference, where key figures from the Trump administration, US senators, European leaders, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gathered.
In a high-stakes interview, Zelensky addressed Trump’s potential role in negotiations, the future of NATO, and the broader threat Russia poses beyond Ukraine. He also shared what he would say if he came face-to-face with Vladimir Putin—offering a glimpse into his unwavering stance on the war.
Zelensky’s remarks come as the Trump administration begins outlining an agenda for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, with Trump stating on Wednesday that he recently spoke to Putin over the phone.
“As we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations. We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately.”
During Friday’s interview, Zelensky thanked Trump and other US leaders for their longstanding “support” of Ukraine, but added that there is not “any leader in the world who can really make a deal with Putin without us.”