Ukrainian President Zelensky warns that when the war in Ukraine ends, a situation similar to the one in Afghanistan in 2021 may arise. Europe is weak, and Trump wants to please Putin, he also said.
Shortly before the meeting in Riyadh, at which representatives of the US and Russia discuss ways to achieve peace in Ukraine, the country's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned the West not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
In the popular journalistic show "Meischberger" on the German public broadcaster ARD, he recalled the hasty withdrawal of Western troops from Afghanistan in 2021, thus opposing the negotiating tactic of making serious concessions even before the negotiations themselves began. Citing statements by the US administration that Ukraine would not become a member of NATO, Zelensky said: "You can't just take this off the table. It can't. I think no one is interested in Afghanistan 2.0".
The agreement to withdraw Western troops from Afghanistan was negotiated during Donald Trump's first term and then implemented in a short time under his successor Joe Biden. This led to a chaotic withdrawal from the country, while at the same time the Taliban quickly took over the capital Kabul and seized power throughout the country.
According to Zelensky, "a lack of respect for human life" led to the tragedy at that time. "So we already know what can happen when someone finishes something without thinking it through and withdraws very quickly", the Ukrainian president also said in the ARD program.
The role of the US
Zelensky also confirmed that he is in favor of a strong role for the US in Ukraine after a peace agreement is reached. It is true that Ukraine today is different compared to the time before the war began - for example, it has its own much more developed weapons production. But we definitely cannot win without the support of the US, Zelensky stressed.
The ceasefire negotiations will also have to include guarantees for Ukraine's security. While Trump believes that this should be entirely the responsibility of Europe, Zelensky has assured him that the US should also be involved. In this case, it is not just about the number of troops: "This is an important demonstration of strength to Vladimir Putin, that all allies together defend Ukraine," Zelensky believes.
He personally realizes that Trump maintains "really close relations with Putin." However, according to him, there can be no truly close relations between the leaders of the United States and Russia, since in principle they represent "two different poles, two completely different cultures, two fundamentally different value communities."
Not over Ukraine's head
The Ukrainian president further explains why it is pointless to conclude agreements without Ukraine's participation. "There is no question of this, because the war is with us, on our territory."
According to him, Russia and the United States can agree on aspects of their bilateral relations. But they certainly "cannot negotiate about our people and our lives. They cannot agree to end the war without us. We are a sovereign state," the Ukrainian president said.
No giving up of territories
Zelensky also stressed that Ukraine is not ready to give up parts of its territory: "Legally, we will not give up our territories." Quite the opposite: Zelensky expressed confidence to ARD that the Ukrainian territories, conquered and annexed by Russia in violation of international law, will one day become part of Ukraine again. "Of course, we will get everything back. Respect for international law will be restored. If not today, then tomorrow."
Zelensky sees a serious problem in the fact that the US says things that appeal to Putin. "I think that is the essence of the problem - they want to please him. And do you know why? To meet and achieve quick success. However, the truce is not a success," the Ukrainian president believes.
At the same time, Zelensky believes that Europe has a weak defense potential - although some improvement has been observed over the past three years. "Europe is weak. Weak in terms of the number of troops, in terms of the number of combat units, the fleet, the air force and drones," the Ukrainian president said, but explicitly emphasized Ukraine's belonging to Europe. "I believe that Ukraine shares the same values with Europe. We are Europe. We are just like you.
Is Russia planning an attack through Belarus?
According to Zelensky, this is another reason why Russia could launch an attack through Belarus. The country is in the process of building 15 new divisions and most likely has a plan for the summer or autumn at the latest, the Ukrainian president said. According to him, then Russia will have another 150,000 soldiers who can gather for annual joint exercises on the territory of Belarus. This was the case before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Zelensky recalled.
Russia can go down this path again or choose another - easier, but also riskier: to attack a NATO country that is not so large and does not have a sufficient contingent of troops. "This risk exists. Our analysis shows that Russia is considering attacking NATO countries," Zelensky also told ARD.