Zelensky Urges Russia to Drop 'Unnecessary' Demands Ahead of Peace Talks

• Mar 21, 2025

Ukrainian and US officials are set to hold peace talks in Saudi Arabia, where the Kremlin has confirmed its own discussions with the US on the same day.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to abandon “unnecessary demands” that he says are dragging out the war, ahead of fresh peace talks scheduled in Saudi Arabia next Monday.

Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian and US delegations will meet in Riyadh, where the Kremlin also plans to hold US-Russia talks on the same day. One of Moscow’s main demands—an end to military support for Ukraine—was dismissed by Zelensky, who warned it would only embolden Russian aggression.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Oslo with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Zelensky pushed back against suggestions that Ukraine would give up its NATO aspirations, calling such a move a “big gift to Russia.” He also firmly denied claims from the White House that he had discussed transferring control of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants to the US in a phone call with former President Donald Trump.

“All nuclear power plants belong to the people of Ukraine,” Zelensky said, while acknowledging that he had discussed the Zaporizhia nuclear plant—which is currently under Russian control—with Trump. He added that he would be open to the US investing in or modernising the plant, but not owning it. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously floated the idea of US ownership as a protective measure.

As the US attempts to mediate a ceasefire following more than three years of conflict, Zelensky said Ukraine would present the US with a list of infrastructure facilities that should be shielded from Russian attacks. Though both Zelensky and Putin have expressed conditional agreement to a ceasefire in conversations with American officials, no agreement has been implemented yet due to conflicting terms.

While Putin recently agreed to halt airstrikes on Ukrainian energy facilities, both Russian and Ukrainian strikes have continued. Trump reportedly secured that limited agreement during a call with the Russian leader earlier in the week.

Asked whether he would consider territorial concessions to Russia, particularly regarding Crimea, Zelensky was resolute. “That is a Ukrainian peninsula,” he stated, describing Crimea as an “integral part” of Ukraine. Despite Russia’s occupation since 2014, Crimea remains internationally recognised as Ukrainian territory.

On what a ceasefire might entail, Zelensky said that halting hostilities on land and sea must come first, describing it as essential to ending Russia’s ongoing offensive.

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Moscow expects any peace agreement to guarantee Ukraine's neutrality and exclude it from NATO membership. While US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth downplayed Ukraine’s chances of joining the alliance in a negotiated peace, he reaffirmed continued diplomatic support for Ukraine.

Amid the ongoing conflict, overnight strikes killed two people in Ukraine, while Ukrainian drone attacks injured 10 people and damaged a Russian airfield.

Addressing EU leaders via video link during a summit in Brussels, Zelensky called for €5 billion in military aid, especially artillery shells, emphasizing the importance of continued European support and warning against easing pressure on Moscow.

A temporary pause in US military aid—following a heated public exchange between Zelensky and Trump in the Oval Office—was lifted after renewed US-Ukraine talks and backing for a proposed 30-day ceasefire.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, speaking from a military base in London, said any eventual peace agreement must be supported by concrete security guarantees. He proposed a “coalition of the willing” to enforce peace terms, noting that without credible enforcement, any agreement risked being violated by Russia.

“It is vitally important we do that work because we know one thing for certain: a deal without anything behind it is something that Putin will breach,” Starmer said. “It’s happened before, and I’m absolutely certain it will happen again.”