This is reported by RBK-Ukraine, referencing the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, on Telegram. Such information has also been shared by Kontrakty.UA.
According to the head of the Ukrainian state, he had a productive and meaningful discussion with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Specifically, they talked about the meeting between the President of Ukraine and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, during which the role of Ankara in providing security guarantees was addressed.
"In this process, Ukraine requires broad representation from countries: Europe, including the UK and Turkey, as well as the USA," Zelensky noted.
For his part, the NATO Secretary General informed about a meeting with the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg. His key messages align with Ukraine's goal of achieving guaranteed peace, rather than just a temporary ceasefire. There must be confidence that Russia will not repeat a full-scale invasion.
Additionally, Zelensky and Rutte discussed upcoming contacts with partners and coordinated further steps.
"We cannot allow Putin to deceive everyone again. Before any potential negotiations, all partners must clearly understand that strong security guarantees are the priority for achieving lasting peace," Zelensky added.
It is worth noting that President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the need to prevent Putin from deceiving everyone following ambiguous statements from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding him. Specifically, the American leader mentioned the "low support" for Zelensky among Ukrainians.
Security Guarantees for Ukraine
Recall that earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the USA, Germany, Slovakia, and Hungary oppose Ukraine's NATO membership - one of the options for security guarantees.
Moreover, the head of the Ukrainian state indicated that NATO's alternative could be a significant strengthening of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This involves doubling the number of soldiers.