Quotes
A good outcome means the war stops, 80% of Ukraine is free, and there are security guarantees for Ukraine sufficient that Russia won't start the war again. That is a strategic victory for Ukraine,
Fried said
It would have been much better to talk about possible NATO membership and territorial changes at the negotiating table,
Pistorius saidEverybody knows ... and people in the administration know you don't say before your first meeting what you will agree to and what you won't agree to,
Wicker told Politico on FridayThey're all over the map, they have trouble getting a disciplined line, but they haven't ruled anything out. They've covered the position in a cloud of ambiguity and uncertainty,
he saidUkraine needs strong security guarantees, further lethal aid and a sovereign future
A Downing Street spokesman said
We will never recognise occupied territories as Russian
Mr Zelensky told a security conference in MunichWe have a strong army which can make a stronger Nato everywhere.
He addedPutin will demand the limitation of Ukraine's military potential, that no Western weapons or troops be stationed in Ukraine. He will aim to restrict Ukraine's path to joining the EU and NATO, and seek the amendment of the Ukraine's constitution to make Russian an official language, and try to impose federalization."
Looking ahead, the former foreign minister believes
If he's willing to abandon Ukraine's right to territorial integrity and its right to independent foreign policy, what demands is he still able to make of Putin?"
Melnyk arguedI do not share the opinion that the US will negotiate with Russia without Ukraine,
said Volodymyr Fesenko, CEO of Penta, a center for political studies in KyivNot only must we sit at the negotiating table, we must also take on a proactive role, especially with regard to the Trump administration, and tell them what is possible and what is not,
he saidSome European countries are making it clear that the Trump administration's position is not really acceptable,
said MelnykAt such a difficult time for Ukraine, I wish the president would follow the example of our European partners, who issued a joint statement demanding Europe's participation in future negotiations,
she wroteIt's as if Trump has been hypnotized by Putin,
commented Oleksiy Melnyk from the Razumkov Center, a public policy think tank in KyivBefore even entering into negotiations, he played all the cards he should have saved so he could play them gradually, one by one. It makes you wonder which concessions he'll still be willing to make,
so the expertThat's why the press releases were coordinated,
he told DWA proactive role must be backed by concrete measures and resources,
he added,Who will participate in them? Will the carrot or the stick be used? No one can answer that today, because it depends on many factors that are known only to the ones negotiating. I won't speculate over whether Trump has abandoned any positions before the start of negotiations,
he saidPutin will try to pressure Trump on key issues at the meeting in Saudi Arabia, and force the US to put pressure on Zelenskyy. At present, though, the US still maintains the position that Ukraine has to be part of the negotiations. So it's too early to draw dire conclusions,
he said
We want to make sure that NATO is actually built for the future, and we think a big part of that is ensuring that NATO does a little bit more burden sharing in Europe, so the United States can focus on some of our challenges in East Asia,
Vance told Rutte, according to the Associated Press