VOLODYMYR Zelensky says he’ll ignore any US-Russia peace plan made without him – and will be in Saudi to wait in the wings of crunch talks.
The rattled Ukrainian president claims Kyiv “didn’t know anything” about the talks in Saudi Arabia this week, adding that Ukraine “cannot recognise” any agreements made without them.
Trump repeatedly vowed to end Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine during his presidential campaign.
But Zelensky has insisted his nation would never accept any peace deals reached without Kyiv’s involvement.
The Ukrainian president met with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi for key economic cooperation discussions on Monday.
Meanwhile talks between US and Russian officials will kick off tomorrow in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
Sheikh Mohammed emphasised in the meeting with Zelensky the need to “build effective partnerships with the countries of the world”, WAM news agency reports.
The Emirati president also spoke of “the importance of reaching peaceful solutions to crises” worldwide before the two signed an “economic partnership agreement”.
In neighbouring Saudi Arabia, Washington and Moscow have said their top diplomats, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will lead crunch talks – without Zelensky.
A source close to the Saudi government revealed that it expected the officials to hold a preparatory meeting ahead of a potential breakthrough summit between US President Trump and Russia’s Putin.
Tensions continue to heighten with Europe and Kyiv, as fears linger that Moscow and Washington will try and settle a breakthrough three-year war in Ukraine without them.
Kyiv and Western allies are being iced out of high-stakes talks on a plan to end the almost three-year war.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Trump says Putin wants to ‘stop fighting’, may meet ‘very soon'” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6368944135112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]Russia’s ambassador to the UN has slammed the EU and UK while addressing the security council in New York, saying that the two are “absolutely unfaithful to their word”.
Vasil Nebenzya explained that the EU and UK “cannot be a party to any future agreement on the resolution to the Ukrainian crisis whatsoever,” adding that “they are blinded by primitive Russophobia”.
He also described Zelensky as a “professional Ukrainian comic” and does “everything possible” to dray out elections that he’s “deathly afraid of”.
It comes after Trump demanded for a £400 billion “payback” from Ukraine over the country’s critical minerals, causing fear in Kyiv.
According to a draft of the pre-decisional contract seen by the Telegraph, it states that the US and Ukraine should form a join investment fund.
This is to ensure “hostile parties to the conflict do not benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine”.
The fear-mongering agreement extends to the “economic value associated with resources of Ukraine” which include “mineral resources, oil and gas resources, ports, other infrastructure (as agreed)”.
The US looks to take 50pc of recurring revenues received by Zelensky’s country from extraction of resources, as well as 50pc of the financial value of “all new licences issued to third parties” for any future monetisation of the key resources.
Today the US special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg has meanwhile insisted that nobody will impose a peace deal on Zelensky, adding that he and Ukraine will make that call.
Speaking at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Kellogg said that the US will hear “discussion points” from everyone, explaining that it is their job to smooth the path of security guarantees for Ukraine.
He added that a trip to Ukraine is still being sorted and that he will meet with Zelensky himself.
Rattled Zelensky posted a video of himself getting off a plane in Abu Dhabi and holding talks with officials.
The UAE has continued to be a key mediator between Russia and Ukraine in helping with prisoner exchanges and the return of Ukrainian children from Russia throughout the bloody conflict.
He said on X: “Our top priority is bringing even more of our people home from captivity.
“We will also focus on investments and economic partnership, as well as a large-scale humanitarian programme.”
Zelensky said last week that he planned to also visit Turkey and Saudi Arabia in the coming days – but clarified on Friday that he has no plans to meet with Russian or US officials in Riyadh.
Earlier today, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov shrugged off Europe’s demand to be involved in peace deal talks.
He said: “The Europeans’ philosophy hasn’t gone anywhere. I don’t know what they should do at the negotiating table.
“If they are going to ‘beg for’ some sly ideas about freezing the conflict, while in their own way, character and habits they mean continuing the war, then why invite them there.”
Lavrov also said Russia has no plans to give up territory it has seized in Ukraine ahead of talks.
He argued: “What sort of territorial concessions do you want — that we give up Russian speakers or rare earths?”.
It comes just days after Trump spoke to Putin on the phone about brokering a peace deal and ordered top officials to begin negotiations.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Zelensky calls for ‘Army of Europe’ to take on Russia without US as Trump urges him to make a deal with Putin” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6368874973112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]But there are fears over what Putin’s demands could mean for Ukraine, with the dictator wanting Nato troops removed from the whole of the former Soviet empire.
Trump could be likely to agree to withdraw US troops from the Baltics and even further West, European officials fear.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the meeting would also be devoted to preparing for possible peace talks on Ukraine.
The talks will be among the first high-level in-person discussions in years between Russian and US officials.
They will involve Rubio and Russian officials, as well as Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz and White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
But a senior Ukrainian government source told the BBC no delegation would be present, with other European officials also frozen out.
Discussions are expected to precede a meeting between the US and Russian presidents.
Rubio on Sunday said the coming weeks and days would determine whether Putin is serious about making peace.
Rubio on Sunday claimed Ukraine and Europe would be part of any “real negotiations” to end Moscow’s war.
Keir Starmer is among leaders heading to France for a last-minute crisis meeting amid fears the UK and its allies may be shut out of negotiations.
French President Emmanual Macron said they would address the “situation in Ukraine” and “security in Europe”.
Sir Keir has said he is prepared to put “our own troops on the ground if necessary” in Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war.
The British PM said he is “ready and willing” to put British troops into a peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
He wrote in the Telegraph that the UK was “ready to play a leading role” in Kyiv’s security and defence by committing £3bn a year until 2030.
But Zelensky has warned Putin “does not want peace” and is “not preparing for dialogue”.
He said: “I believe in Europe. I urge you to act for your own sake, for your nations, your houses, your children, for our shared future.
“We need confidence in our own strength so that other people respect European power. I believe the time has come to create an Armed Forces of Europe.”
He said all European nations must rearm and prepare for war.
Mr Zelensky added: “Money alone will not stop an enemy assault. It is not just about budgets, it is about people realising they need to defend their own home.”
He revealed Ukraine had clear intelligence Russia plans, this year, to send troops to puppet state Belarus.
And he asked the Munich Security Conference: “Will this force attack Ukraine? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe they’ll attack you.
“And what about your armies — are they ready? How fast will they respond? And will they respond at all?”
