Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has insisted that Ukraine must be included in any future diplomatic negotiations involving former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning that decisions made without Kyiv would be “stillborn.”

As international speculation grows over potential backchannel diplomacy between Trump and Putin, European leaders have echoed Zelenskiy’s concerns, emphasizing that any resolution to the war in Ukraine must safeguard both Ukrainian sovereignty and European security interests.

“Any decision made without Ukraine will be stillborn it simply won’t work,” Zelenskiy said during a press briefing in Kyiv on Saturday. “We will not accept being a subject of negotiations between others.”

European Union leaders, including German Chancellor Annalena Baerbock and French President Emmanuel Macron, issued a joint statement supporting Ukraine’s stance. “Any sustainable peace must be based on Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the will of its people,” the statement read.

The renewed diplomatic noise comes amid a prolonged military stalemate in eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian and Russian forces remain locked in months long battles along entrenched front lines. With the U.S. election just months away, foreign policy analysts say Ukraine is bracing for a possible shift in Western strategy depending on the outcome.

Trump, who has long expressed skepticism of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, has not publicly outlined a concrete plan for ending the conflict.

Conclusion:
Zelenskiy, who has maintained consistent support from NATO and EU partners, has warned against any “shortcut diplomacy” that undermines Ukraine’s sacrifices. “Peace is our goal,” he said, “but not at the cost of our freedom or sovereignty.”