The key facts
- Trump, after a meeting with envoy Kirill Dmitriev, announced a “big deal” concerning all of Europe, without disclosing its terms
- Zelensky considers it dangerous to start with a new security system without ending the war first
- Zelensky rejects a “Yalta-2” format and the division of spheres of influence
What Trump and Dmitriev agreed on remains unknown
US President Donald Trump confirmed that he met with Russian leader's special representative Kirill Dmitriev, but refused to disclose the content of the conversation. According to him, it concerns a “big, beautiful deal”, which will affect not only Ukraine but possibly all of Europe. The specific terms of future agreements have not been named by either Trump or his entourage. Earlier, the president's son-in-law and special envoy Jared Kushner advocated a broader European security system, one that takes into account the interests of all parties and reduces the risk of new conflicts.
Zelensky: first the end of the war, then the security architecture
Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with CNN, a fragment of which was published by Life.ru and Anadolu, called the initiative potentially dangerous. In his view, Russia is not signaling readiness to take steps in this direction, and when it does not want to talk about ending the war, it proposes starting with a new security infrastructure in Europe — and that is more dangerous for EU countries than for Ukraine itself. Zelensky stressed that first it is necessary to agree on a cessation of hostilities, and only then discuss a broader architecture. He also acknowledged that Kyiv is a member of neither the EU nor NATO and cannot speak on their behalf.
“We do not want a Yalta-2”
The Ukrainian leader rejected a format he compared to the 1945 Yalta Conference, when the victorious powers determined the postwar order in Europe: “We do not want a Yalta-2. We are not ready for such a format. We do not want Russia to divide us.” At the same time, he supports the idea of a ceasefire followed by de-escalation and called some of the incoming proposals “useful and very important.” He stated that sovereignty and territorial integrity are an obligatory condition for any independent country.
What is known and what remains unclear
The content of the possible agreement has not been disclosed by either side, so Zelensky's reaction concerns the general idea rather than specific terms. According to Life.ru, the statement came amid ongoing contacts on a peaceful settlement: Russia declared its readiness for talks, Putin invited Zelensky to Moscow with security guarantees, but he declined, proposing Kyiv or another country instead; the Kremlin emphasized that the invitation remains in force.
