Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced reservations about U.S. proposals for a new European security order aimed at resolving Russia's war against Ukraine, warning that such an arrangement could carry risks for Kyiv.
"It's not simple, and it can be dangerous for us," Zelenskyy said in an interview with U.S. broadcaster CNN on Friday evening.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy outlined a three-stage approach, saying discussions should first focus on ending the war, followed by securing firm guarantees for Ukraine's security. Only then, he said, should broader talks begin on establishing a new security architecture for Europe.
Ukraine is prepared for a ceasefire and de-escalation, but there are no signs that Moscow is willing to back down. "That is why it is dangerous," Zelenskyy said, warning that Russia was not seeking discussions on how to end the war but instead wanted "to begin a new security structure in Europe."
U.S. President Donald Trump has recently spoken of a "grand bargain," a peace initiative that remains vaguely defined but is intended to encompass Europe and Russia.
His son-in-law and negotiator, Jared Kushner, outlined a proposed security framework in a post on X, describing an arrangement based on communication, military transparency and reducing the risk of escalation.
Kushner had previously discussed possible security guarantees for Ukraine with European partners, NATO and the European Union in Brussels.
The framework bears similarities to the agreements reached at the 1975 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act.
However, both agreements followed lengthy negotiations and were reached during peacetime, rather than amid an ongoing war.
Ukrainian and Russian envoys are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi next week under U.S. mediation. Shortly afterward, Trump plans to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China.
Trump has also personally invited Putin to the Group of 20 summit in Florida.
Zelenskyy warned against attempts by major powers to reach agreements at the expense of the European Union, NATO and Ukraine.
"We all live in Europe. We do not want to have Yalta, Yalta 2," he said.
He was referring to the 1945 Yalta Conference, where the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom discussed the postwar order and the division of Europe into spheres of influence. The conference was held on the Crimean Peninsula, then part of the Soviet Union.
