Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said no talks on the future of Ukraine should be held behind the country’s back, as US-Russian talks concluded in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Speaking during a visit to Ankara at a joint press conference with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Zelenskyy said that talks should be “fair” and should also involve European countries, including Turkey.
“Ukraine, Europe in a broad sense — and this includes the European Union, Turkey, and the UK — should be involved in conversations and the development of the necessary security guarantees with America regarding the fate of our part of the world,” Zelenskyy said.
He also said he postponed a Wednesday visit to Saudi Arabia to March 10. He cited the fact that Ukrainian officials were not invited to the Riyadh talks between Moscow and Washington.
Erdogan meanwhile stressed that Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty were indisputable for Ankara, offering up his country as an “ideal” venue for any upcoming talks.
“Turkey will be an ideal host for the possible talks between Russia, Ukraine and America in the near future,” he said, adding that US President Donald Trump’s initiative to seek an end to the war aligned with the Turkish policy since the start of the conflict.
