Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the war must be ended in a way that prevents Russia from launching a third invasion of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this on press conference with Irish Prime Minister Michail Martin.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine well understands both the realities of war and the nature of Russian aggression, so the process of achieving peace will not have simple solutions.
"First of all, I want to say that there will be no easy solutions. We understand what is happening and we understand who we are dealing with," — the head of state emphasized.
At the same time, according to Zelensky, any decisions regarding the end of the war must be made fairly, openly, and exclusively taking into account Ukrainian interests.
"We must end this war so that later, a year later, Russia does not come again with a third invasion in this 10th anniversary. This may be because this was their main goal. They did not achieve their goal of occupying our state, but their goals may remain relevant. We need reliable protection," emphasized the head of the Ukrainian state.
In addition, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine will not allow "games behind its back" and will not agree to decisions made without its participation. Zelensky stated that he is ready to make decisions about the future of Ukrainians.
"He who is capable of making decisions will make them. I am capable of doing this," — Zelenskyy emphasized, adding that no agreements should be adopted without Ukraine's participation.
The head of Ukraine paid special attention to security guarantees. According to him, it is important for Ukrainians not only to receive some guarantees on paper, but, above all, to clearly understand what exactly the allies guarantee and how it will be implemented.
"This is not an experiment on humans, these are living people, our citizens who paid too high a price for freedom," Zelensky emphasized.
Zelensky recalled that the war was started by Russia with the aim of destroying Ukraine, and the world witnessed this aggression. Ukraine was able to repel the attack thanks to the strength of its citizens, army, and the support of international partners, in particular Europe and the United States.
The President of Ukraine emphasized that there has been enough bloodshed and thanked the US for its support.
Zelensky also touched on the issue of returning the military home: "Our soldiers will rightfully go home, but, unfortunately, not all of them will survive. When they return to peaceful life — become teachers, engineers, specialists — we must be sure that Russia will not prepare a new invasion."
The President emphasized the need for certainty for Ukrainians and support for international guarantees: the US is ready to be a guarantor of Ukraine's security, Europe sees Ukraine as part of the EU, and this is also part of the guarantees.
"It's only a matter of time - when Ukraine will become a full member of the EU: in this century or the next. Certainty for people is what is needed," concluded Zelensky.
