Zelensky warns against ‘Yalta 2’ ahead of Putin-Trump-Xi talks; What was the Yalta Conference of 1945?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that a possible meeting between the leaders of Russia, the United States and China could lead to a redistribution of global influence, drawing parallels with the 1945 Yalta Conference.

“We really don't want this to turn into 'Yalta 2, 3, 4', with a redistribution of influence,” Zelensky said in comments published on Wednesday.

The Kremlin has indicated that preparations are under way for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit next month.

“What China, Russia, and the United States might discuss has not yet been clearly defined today,” he told journalists.

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Zelensky warns against giving Moscow a diplomatic advantage

Russia has long sought a broader security agreement with Washington, particularly over NATO's expansion near its borders. Moscow has cited what it describes as a threat from NATO as a reason for its war with Ukraine. Kyiv and Western governments reject this argument, describing the war as an attempt by Putin to seize Ukrainian territory.

“Russia wants this meeting more than anyone,” Zelensky said, warning against giving Moscow “another major diplomatic advantage”.

His comments come ahead of planned talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives and US envoys in the United Arab Emirates next month. The meeting aims to revive efforts to end the war, although a date has not yet been confirmed. Zelensky said Ukraine wanted the Abu Dhabi talks to take place before the proposed three-way summit.

What was the Yalta Conference of 1945?

The Yalta Conference took place from February 4 to 11, 1945, as World War II in Europe approached its end. US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin met in Yalta, Crimea, to discuss the defeat of Nazi Germany and the post-war international order.

The leaders agreed on plans to divide Germany and Berlin into four occupation zones after the war. They also discussed the structure of the proposed United Nations, including the Security Council's veto system, and secured a commitment from the Soviet Union to enter the war against Japan after Germany's defeat.

The conference became a significant moment in shaping the post-war order, making it a historical reference point for concerns about major powers negotiating the future of other countries.