Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday he is open to the possibility of a diplomatic resolution to the country’s war with Russia.
"Ukraine wants this war to end more than anyone else. No doubt, a diplomatic resolution would save more lives. We do seek it," the Ukrainian president said Monday at a joint press conference in Kyiv with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz.
Zelenskyy also said he is open to the possibility of foreign troops being deployed to Ukraine to help his country end its war with Russia, a conflict that has been ongoing for nearly three years.
"But before that, we must have a clear understanding of when Ukraine will be in the European Union and when Ukraine will be in NATO," Zelenskyy said.
On his Telegram channel, the Ukrainian leader said the deployment of troops to Ukraine would be a step forward for the Eastern European country’s quest to join NATO.
Zelenskyy’s openness to a negotiated end to the conflict with Russia and the presence of Western troops in Ukraine coincides with Russia’s recent gains in Ukraine and the upcoming inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
Trump met with Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said he plans to call U.S. President Joe Biden soon about Ukraine joining NATO.
"He is the current president, and a lot rides on his opinion. And there is no point in discussing with President Trump something that is not up to him today — while he is not yet in the White House,” Zelenskyy said.
Trump has said he wants the war between Russia and Ukraine to end quickly and has called for a ceasefire and negotiations to end the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
However, Zelenskyy told the New York Post that while Trump wants a ceasefire, the two leaders have not discussed any details about that arrangement.
Merz, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's challenger in the upcoming German election, said at the joint address with Zelenskyy that the “basic consensus” in Germany is that Germany will continue to supply Ukraine with military aid.
In his meetings with Zelenskyy, Merz did, however, note that Germany’s position on Ukraine differs from the stance that France, the U.S. and the U.K. have taken on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“Our position is clear, as is that of my parliamentary group: We want to put your army in a position to reach military bases in Russia — not the civilian population, not the infrastructure — but the military targets from which your country is being fought," he said.
"With this range restriction, we are forcing your country to fight with one hand behind its back," he said.
Ukraine’s military said Monday it shot down 18 drones that Russian forces deployed in overnight attacks.
The Ukrainian air force said the intercepts took place over the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytsky, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil and Vinnytsia regions.
There were no reports of casualties or major damage.
Ukrainian air defenses also shot down two Russian guided missiles, the military said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Monday its air defenses destroyed 13 Ukrainian aerial drones.
Most of the drones were shot down near the Russia-Ukraine border in the Belgorod and Rostov regions. Two of the drones were destroyed over Astrakhan, located about 200 kilometers from the border.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
