Ukraine ready for agreement to bring real peace: Volodymyr Zelenskyy

At the prestigious Munich Security Conference in Munich, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy struck a resolute yet hopeful tone, declaring that Ukraine stands ready to embrace an agreement capable of delivering “real peace” — not only for Kyiv, but for the wider European continent.

“Ukraine is ready for an agreement that will bring real peace to us, to Ukraine, to Europe,” Zelenskyy said, underscoring that any resolution to the grinding conflict must be anchored in dignity. “This is the most important thing for us,” he emphasised, framing dignity as the moral compass guiding Kyiv’s diplomatic pursuit.

Yet beneath the call for peace lay a note of concern. Zelenskyy observed that Europe is “practically not present” at the negotiating table — a reality he described as a “big mistake”. Ukraine, he said, is working tirelessly to ensure that Europe is fully engaged in the process, so that “the interests of Europe and the voice of Europe are taken into account.” Kyiv, he added, remains in constant contact with US representatives, striving to make any forthcoming negotiations meaningful and successful.

From Moscow, a parallel diplomatic signal has emerged. Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated that Russia is prepared to seek a negotiated settlement to the Ukraine crisis, grounded in the understandings reached between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump during their meeting in Anchorage last August.

Lavrov affirmed Moscow’s commitment to those outcomes, stating that Russia expects its interests to be fully respected in the pursuit of mutually acceptable agreements with partners willing to engage in what he termed honest and direct dialogue. He framed Russia’s diplomatic posture as one devoted to “truth and justice” in international affairs and to the advancement of a multipolar world order rooted in the principles of the UN Charter.

In measured but firm language, Lavrov pledged that Moscow would resist what it sees as double standards, hidden agendas, imposed settlement formulas, and practices of neocolonialism and hegemonism. At the same time, he signaled Russia’s intent to deepen strategic partnerships with emerging global powers and to accelerate the development of sanctions-resistant frameworks for trade, investment, finance and logistics.

As diplomatic currents swirl from Munich to Moscow and Washington, the prospect of negotiations remains alive — shaped by competing visions, guarded optimism, and the enduring search for a peace that each side insists must be both just and lasting.

With IANS inputs