‘EU unity and Washington support will help reach real peace,’ says Zelensky

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels on Sunday that she is glad to be accompanying Zelensky and other European leaders to Washington for a meeting on Monday. She added that Ukraine’s European allies believe strong security guarantees must be given to protect both Ukraine and Europe. The European Union will support Ukraine for as long as it takes, for a just and lasting peace, she added.

Von der Leyen further said thst peace “must be achieved through strength” and the deal must include security guarantees to protect both Ukraine and Europe.

The European Commission president also said that she welcomes President Donald Trump’s willingness to contribute to Article 5-like “security guarantees”.

Article 5 is a Nato principle that says the organisation's members will come to the defence of an ally which comes under attack.

‘Ukraine and Ukraine alone to decide future of its borders’

The European Commission president then said that international borders cannot be changed by force and said, “These are decisions to be made by Ukraine and Ukraine alone. These decisions must not be taken without Ukraine in the table.”

Von der Leyen further said that the EU will continue with sanctions on Russia as long as bloodshed continues in Ukraine.

‘Unity helps reach real peace’: Zelensky

Zelensky thanked the EU for its support to Ukraine since the beginning of the war and said that it is important that they speak together and that “Washington is with us”.

“This unity helps reach real peace,” he said.

‘Territorial swaps impossible under Ukrainian constitution’: Zelensky

Zelensky again said that the Ukrainian constitution makes it impossible to give up territory, and this should only be discussed by the Ukrainian and Russian leaderships at a trilateral summit.

He added that it’s also important that the US agrees to offer security guarantees for Ukraine alongside Europe.

“We need security to work in practice like Article 5 of Nato,” Zelensky added.

Zelensky further said that “Putin has many demands but we do not know all of them”, adding that it will take time to go through them all, if there are as many as we have heard.

He thanked von der Leyen for help on drones and the latest round of sanctions on Russia. “Sanctions show we are serious,” he added.

Zelensky said they need to ‘push’ Russia to real negotiations to make “lasting peace”.