Upon arriving in Helsinki, he spoke positively about Monday's negotiations in Berlin on a peace plan for Ukraine. Firstly, that Europe, Ukraine and the US were "gathered in the same room, discussing the same things".
"It's the first time we've sat down together like that," he says on his way into today's summit in Helsinki, a Finnish initiative for countries on the EU's "eastern flank."
The other thing that was good is that the security guarantees are now starting to become clear.
That's one of the key questions – what commitments the outside world is prepared to make to ensure that Russia does not attack Ukraine again. He thinks he sees a "very clear American commitment to security guarantees". But it is unclear what they will look like in more detail.
Ready to participate
The prime minister describes that first of all, a strong Ukrainian military must be ensured – “well-trained, well-equipped, well-financed.” And behind it will stand the “Coalition of the Willing,” consisting of European countries and the United States.
Sweden will be involved too, but under the right circumstances.
We are prepared to participate with air capabilities, surveillance of various kinds. Even some naval capabilities if needed.
But all of this happens in constant dialogue with NATO coordination and what other countries are also contributing.
After Berlin, France emphasizes that security guarantees are linked to perhaps the most difficult thorny issue – whether a peace settlement can include Ukraine handing over land to an aggressor Russia.
"We want robust security guarantees first, before any discussions on territory," an aide to President Emmanuel Macron told AFP.
"We have made progress on the guarantees... thanks to a clarification of the form of US support," the employee says anonymously.
“Unacceptable for me”
Zelensky admitted after the Berlin talks that Ukraine and the United States have "different positions" on Russian demands to give up Ukrainian territories.
Primarily, this concerns the Donbass area in eastern Ukraine, where the US, according to sources, continues to demand that Ukraine "withdraw".
"Any format where Donbass is under Russian control is unacceptable to me," Zelensky said on Monday, The Kyiv Independent reports .
Neither de jure nor de facto will we recognize Donbass as Russian.
