I attended Zelensky's private press conference - this is what he told me
Francis Dearnley, one of the co-hosts of the Telegraph podcast Ukraine: The Latest, was invited to attend the private press conference before President Zelensky flew back to Ukraine.
Before this intimate hour-long press conference began at Stansted Airport, one of our seasoned industry veterans leaned toward me and remarked, 'This may be the most important conference you and I will ever attend in our careers.'
This statement encapsulated the gravity of the moment as we awaited the President. The decisions to be made in the coming days could very well prove to be the most consequential for Europe and its security since the end of the Second World War.
The conference room was tight and bustling, the air punctuated by the roar of aeroplanes overhead, making the water in our glasses shake. When President Zelensky entered, a collective breath, an almost imperceptible pause, then nods of acknowledgement when he arrived.
To our surprise, he appeared more relaxed than anticipated after what must have been a hellish week. Smiling and exchanging light-hearted banter, he nonetheless remained unwavering in the seriousness of his answers.
This was not a man who was prepared to offer big concessions following his recent meeting with President Trump. The sole moment of discomfort came when he was asked if he would 'apologise' to the American president. He deftly evaded the question.
Far from displaying signs of capitulation, he exuded a steely resolve. However, no clear path forward emerged from our discussion – there was no concrete outline of what the Europeans might offer, nor any assurance of what role they would play in shaping Ukraine's future security. The reality was clear: the United States still holds a pivotal role in the security guarantees that Ukraine would require to ensure a lasting peace.
I posed a question about the occupied territories, asking whether any agreement could involve surrendering land to Russia, particularly in regions it claims as its own, despite the continued presence of Ukrainian troops.
Zelensky's response was unequivocal: any peace deal that involved such concessions would not be peace – it would be 'a forced capitulation.' This was a crucial point, for it is widely believed that President Putin will never accept a peace agreement that does not cede entire regions he has annexed, inhabited by millions of Ukrainians, to Russia.'
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