Volodymyr Zelenskyy says excluding Ukraine from US-Russia talks about war 'very dangerous'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that excluding his country from talks between the US and Russia about the war in Ukraine would be very dangerous and asked for more discussions between Kyiv and Washington to develop a plan for a ceasefireSpeaking in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press Zelenskyy said Russia does not want to engage in ceasefire talks or to discuss any kind of concessions which the Kremlin interprets as losing at a time when its troops have the upper hand on the battlefieldHe said US President Donald Trump could bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the table with the threat of sanctions targeting Russias energy and banking system as well as continued support of the Ukrainian militaryI think these are the closest and most important steps he said in the interview in the Ukrainian capital that lasted for more than an hourZelenskyys remarks followed comments Friday by Trump who said American and Russian officials were already talking about ending the war Trump said his administration has had very serious discussions with Russia but he did not elaborateThey may have their own relations but talking about Ukraine without us it is dangerous for everyone Zelenskyy saidHe said his team has been in contact with the Trump administration but those discussions are at a general level and he believes inperson meetings will take place soon to develop more detailed agreementsWe need to work more on this he said adding that Trump understandably appeared to be focused on domestic issues in the first weeks after his inaugurationThe nearly threeyear war in Ukraine is at a crossroads Trump promised to end the fighting within six months of taking office but the two sides are far apart and it is unclear how a ceasefire deal would take shapeMeanwhile Russia continues to make slow but steady gains along the front and Ukrainian forces are enduring severe manpower shortagesMost Ukrainians want a pause in fighting to rebuild their lives The country faces neardaily Russian attacks on homes and strikes on power systems have plunged entire cities into darknessMillions of Ukrainians have been displaced unable to return to their homes after vast tracts of the countrys east have been reduced to rubble Nearly a fifth of Ukraine is now occupied by Russia In those areas Moscowappointed authorities are swiftly erasing any hint of Ukrainian identityWith Trump back in the White House Ukraines relationship with the US its largest and most important ally is also at a tipping pointIn an initial phone call with Trump during the presidential campaign Zelenskyy said the two agreed that if Trump won they would meet to discuss the steps needed to end the war But a planned visit by TrumpsUkraine envoy Keith Kellogg was postponed for legal reasons Zelenskyy said That was followed by a sudden foreign aid freeze that effectively caused Ukrainian organizations to halt projectsI believe that first and foremost we must hold a meeting with him and that is important And that is by the way something that everyone in Europe wants Zelenskyy said referring to a common vision of a quick end to the warAfter the conversation with Trump we should move on to some kind of format of conversation with Russians And I would like to see the United States of America Ukraine and the Russians at the negotiating table And to be honest a European Union voice should also be there I think it would be fair effective But how will it turn out I dont knowZelenskyy cautioned against allowing Putin to take control over the war an apparent reference to Russias repeated threats of escalation during President Joe Bidens administrationWithout security guarantees from Ukraines allies Zelenskyy said any deal struck with Russia would only serve as a precursor to future aggression Membership in the NATO alliance a longstanding wish for Kyiv that Moscow has categorically rejected is still Zelenskyys top choiceNATO membership is the cheapest option for Ukraines allies and it would also strengthen Trump geopolitically Zelenskyy arguedI really believe that these are the cheapest security guarantees that Ukraine can get the cheapest for everyone he saidIt will be a signal that it is not for Russia to decide who should be in NATO and who should not but for the United States of America to decide I think this is a great victory for Trump he said evidently appealing to the presidents penchant for winners and business deals