US pressures Ukraine for concessions more than Russia: Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has struck a tone of guarded hope ahead of a new round of United States-brokered peace talks with Russia, even as he cautioned that Kyiv is being pressed “too often” to concede ground without equal demands placed on Moscow, the Al Jazeera reported.

Speaking beneath the vaulted ceilings of the annual Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy looked toward the forthcoming trilateral meeting in Geneva with measured anticipation. He said he hoped the discussions would prove “serious, substantive” and “helpful for all of us”, yet acknowledged a troubling dissonance at the heart of the negotiations, the Al Jazeera reported.

“Sometimes it feels like the sides are talking about completely different things,” he observed, noting that American interlocutors frequently return to the theme of concessions — “only in the context of Ukraine, not Russia.”

The diplomatic effort follows two earlier rounds convened by Washington in Abu Dhabi, meetings described as constructive but ultimately bereft of breakthroughs. The renewed momentum comes as US President Donald Trump redoubles attempts to halt Europe’s bloodiest conflict since the end of the Second World War.

For Zelenskyy, however, peace cannot be stitched together from fragile promises. He insists that any settlement must rest on firm and enduring security guarantees. While Washington has reportedly floated a 15-year framework, Kyiv is seeking assurances extending two decades or more — a shield, he argues, against the spectre of renewed aggression. He also reiterated calls for a monitored ceasefire and a comprehensive prisoner exchange, estimating that Russia holds around 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers, while Kyiv detains more than 4,000 Russian personnel.

Among the most fraught demands is Moscow’s insistence that Ukrainian forces withdraw fully from the remaining areas of the eastern Donetsk region under Kyiv’s control — a condition Ukraine flatly rejects. Any ceasefire, Zelenskyy maintains, must be underpinned by credible Western guarantees capable of deterring future incursions.

He acknowledged feeling “a little bit” of pressure from Trump, who has urged him to seize what he describes as an “opportunity” for peace. Yet Zelenskyy called in equal measure for tougher sanctions on Moscow and increased military support from allies, arguing that pressure must flow both ways if diplomacy is to bear fruit.

Kyiv also views with suspicion the Kremlin’s decision to reshuffle its delegation for the Geneva talks, appointing presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky to lead the Russian side — a move Ukrainian officials interpret as a possible signal of delay rather than determination.

Drawing a stark historical parallel, Zelenskyy invoked the 1938 Munich Agreement, cautioning against the illusion that territorial compromise can secure lasting peace. “It would be an illusion to believe that this war can now be reliably ended by dividing Ukraine,” he warned, suggesting that appeasement would only invite deeper peril.

“Peace can only be built on clear security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said. “Where there is no clear security system, war always returns.”