Zelensky says Ukraine needs ‘substantive’ diplomacy to end war, hopes to rely on US

KYIV - President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 3 that Ukraine had to engage in substantive diplomacy to bring to a rapid end the three-year-old war with Russia, and he hoped to be able to rely on US support in securing peace.

“It is very important that we try to make our diplomacy really substantive to end this war the soonest possible,” Mr Zelensky wrote on X.

“We are working together with America and our European partners and very much hope for US support on the path to peace. Peace is needed as soon as possible,” he added.

Mr Zelensky’s X posting came after US President Donald Trump suggested his

patience was running out

with the Ukrainian leader, following an AP report that quoted Mr Zelensky saying at the weekend that the end of the war was “very, very far away”.

Mr Zelensky had been attending a weekend meeting of Ukraine’s European allies devoted to working out a plan for a settlement of the war – two days after Mr Zelensky’s talks with Mr Trump in the White House

broke down in acrimonious exchanges

.

In subsequent comments on the Telegram messaging app, Mr Zelensky stressed unity between Ukraine and its partners, including the United States, following a telephone call with the leaders of the three Baltic states, which support Ukraine but did not attend March 2’s summit of European nations in London.

Mr Zelensky said he filled them in on the outcome of the meeting and repeated that Ukraine needed security guarantees as part of any settlement of the conflict.

“Together, we must prepare an action plan to bring us closer to real security guarantees. There are concrete initiatives and we will keep working,” he wrote.

“Unity with all our partners is important for us in order to end the war as quickly as possible and provide a reliable and durable peace,” Mr Zelensky added. “Ukraine, Europe and the USA - only together can we bring security back for all our people. And this is truly possible.” REUTERS