Ukraine said it would hold more talks with the United States this week on security guarantees and the possibility of peace negotiations involving the Kremlin, as Kyiv sparred with Hungary and Slovakia over its repeated strikes on a Russian pipeline that supplies those countries with oil.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy met US envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv on Monday and said senior Ukrainian and US political and military officials would talk in the coming days, after a US-Russia summit and a White House meeting between US, Ukrainian and several European leaders did not appear to bring peace any closer.
“It seems to me that we will have a plan, a basic plan for security guarantees. I think the details still need time,” Mr Zelenskiy said.
“After that, I would like to understand from the American side whether the Russians are ready for the configuration proposed by America and supported by Ukraine in the presence of European leaders – a bilateral and then a trilateral meeting.”
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Mr Zelenskiy indicated that he is ready to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin and then attend a three-way summit that would also include US president Donald Trump.
That format was first suggested by Mr Trump, but he said last Friday that he would “rather not” be involved in the talks. Moscow, meanwhile, said no Russia-Ukraine summit should take place until all issues have been agreed by lower-level officials, while also questioning the legitimacy of the democratically elected Mr Zelenskiy.
The Kremlin has said it will never accept the presence of western troops in Ukraine, but Mr Zelenskiy and senior western officials continue to discuss the possible creation of a peacekeeping or “reassurance” force as part of the security guarantees that Kyiv says would be essential for any peace agreement to hold.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said in Kyiv on Sunday that he “would not exclude” the possibility of his country providing peacekeepers.
On Monday, visiting German vice-chancellor Lars Klingbeil said his country would “fulfil its responsibilities” to Ukraine but did not confirm that it would send peacekeepers.
“It is about Ukrainian, but also European security,” he said, adding that Mr Putin “should have no illusions that Germany’s support for Ukraine could crumble. On the contrary, we remain Ukraine’s second-largest supporter worldwide and the largest in Europe. Ukraine can continue to rely on Germany.”
While most European countries offer strong support for Ukraine, neighbouring Hungary and Slovakia have condemned its recent drone attacks on the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline in Russia that delivers oil to the two EU and Nato states.
They say the attacks on the Druzhba – which have coincided with long-range drone strikes on other Russian energy facilities – have disrupted deliveries and threaten their energy security. And they have urged Brussels to press Ukraine to halt such operations.
Hungary and Slovakia have maintained good relations with the Kremlin despite its invasion of Ukraine and have criticised arms supplies to Kyiv and sanctions on Russia. Hungary also opposes Ukraine’s attempt to join the EU.
“We have always supported friendship between Ukraine and Hungary. Now the existence of friendship depends on Hungary’s position,” Mr Zelenskiy said on Sunday, apparently using a play on the name of the damaged pipeline.
In response, Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto urged him “to stop threatening Hungary and to end the reckless attacks on our energy security ... A war to which Hungary has nothing to do with can never justify violating our sovereignty.”
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha answered on social media: “Hungary’s energy security is in your own hands. Diversify and become independent from Russia, like the rest of Europe.”
