KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States had raised the possibility of a new security framework for Europe as part of efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, warning that Moscow could use such discussions to weaken NATO and reshape the continent’s borders.
Separately, Ukrainian forces struck a major Russian oil facility supporting Moscow’s war effort, Ukraine’s General Staff said in a statement Saturday. Russian
“In my view, this can be dangerous,” Zelenskyy told reporters Friday, referring to the new security framework. “This should not be the main agenda.” His comments were embargoed until Saturday.
READ MORE: Europe to send a diplomat team to Ukraine talks as leaders push for a voice
He said he believed Moscow was interested in reopening broader questions about European security rather than focusing exclusively on ending the 4 1/2-year war.
“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s desire to change borders in Europe is a fact. I am sure this is part of his concept of revising security guarantees in Europe,” he said. “This is dangerous because, in my view, it is precisely things like this that lead to wars or escalations.”
European leaders have stressed that decisions about the continent’s security must be made by Europeans themselves, warning against allowing Russia to dictate the terms of a new security order or negotiate NATO’s future.
U.S. raised Donbas withdrawal in exchange for Ukraine’s membership in NATO
Zelenskyy said the U.S. had asked for the first time whether Ukraine would withdraw from parts of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine that Russia does not control if Kyiv were admitted to NATO. He reiterated that Kyiv would not surrender its territory.
Ukraine is discussing a comprehensive security package with its partners that could include specific guarantees from NATO and the European Union, a strong Ukrainian military and financial support for a specified period, he said. It would also include a recovery plan, he said.
“If the American side confirms precisely this to us, together with other NATO partners, then I will ask our Ukrainian society what it thinks: do we accept it or not?” Zelenskyy said.
He stressed that any arrangement would not involve recognizing occupied territories as Russian.
Zelenskyy also rejected the possibility of Ukraine committing to neutrality, saying that would require changing the country’s constitution.
“If Putin expects Ukraine’s neutrality to be enshrined, that’s not going to happen,” he said. “We’re not in NATO right now anyway.”
Ukraine hits another major oil facility in Russia
Ukrainian strikes on the Samara oil pipeline station near the village of Prosvet in Russia’s Samara region Friday set several oil storage tanks on fire, Ukraine’s General Staff said.
Moscow has not commented on the strike.
The facility is a key part of the network exporting Russian oil to global markets, the General Staff said. The military also said it struck the Lipetsk-2 airfield in Russia’s Lipetsk region.
Separately, 22 people, including three children, were injured in a Russian attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Friday, Ukraine’s Emergency Service said. The injured include a 6-month-old baby, a 2-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy.
Zelenskyy says Europe must decide its own future
Zelenskyy warned that broader discussions about Europe’s security could allow Putin to seek changes to NATO’s military presence, including the withdrawal of American troops.
He said Putin had raised similar ideas with then-President Joe Biden in 2021, seeking a redistribution of power in Europe and the world.
“I think Putin will bring up Finland and Sweden. I’m sure he will raise the issue of Hungary and the presence of American troops in the Baltic countries,” Zelenskyy said.
He said any changes to Europe’s security arrangements must be decided by European NATO members only after the war ends.
“The sequence should be as follows: a ceasefire, an end to the war in Ukraine, and security guarantees for Ukraine,” he said. “There can be no security guarantees in Europe, or for Europe, without Ukraine.”
Energy ceasefire and prisoner exchanges are priorities
Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s priorities in Abu Dhabi included an energy ceasefire, reopening the Black Sea, prisoner releases and preparations for a leaders’ meeting to end the war.
He said Russian negotiators lacked authority to decide on several issues and Moscow was unwilling to accept an energy ceasefire.
“At the meeting in Abu Dhabi, the Russian delegation said they didn’t have a mandate to decide this issue, but we can also see that they are unwilling,” he said. Negotiators were told to resolve ceasefire questions directly with Putin.
Zelenskyy said talks in Moscow with U.S. negotiators resulted in an agreement to exchange more than 1,000 POWs on each side. The exact number was still being determined, he said, estimating 1,200 to 1,300.
READ MORE: Russia-Ukraine peace talks led by U.S. will look at security guarantees for both sides
He said Washington supported Ukraine’s demand for European countries to participate directly in future negotiations, rather than remain outside the main negotiating room.
Britain, France, Germany and Italy attended the Abu Dhabi meetings, Zelenskyy said. He expected three to five European representatives at future discussions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was open to European participation, adding that it would “help us understand how their stand could help the peace process.” He said Russia would accept any representatives European countries chose to send.
Zelenskyy questions Starshield restrictions
Zelenskyy accused SpaceX of imposing restrictions on its Starshield satellite system in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, saying the limitations were hampering efforts to intercept Russian drones.
He said the system’s speed had been restricted to a maximum of 161 kph (100 mph) in occupied areas and that the limitations had been in place for five days.
Zelenskyy questioned the explanation that the problem was technical, saying the restrictions appeared to have been imposed by SpaceX despite previous assurances from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Starshield was more under the control of the U.S. government.
“The current Starshield restrictions suggest that SpaceX imposed them,” Zelenskyy said. “That’s what our team is telling me. So this doesn’t quite line up with what we heard earlier. That’s why we need to get to the bottom of all this.”
He said the restrictions prevented Ukrainian forces from intercepting Russian jet-powered Shahed drones over occupied territory as they approached from the east, forcing them to wait until the drones reached areas where the limitations did not apply.
