Zelenskyj said that representatives from Ukraine and the USA will meet in Saudi Arabia for a meeting about a future ceasefire. Earlier, it was announced that the USA and Russian representatives will also meet on the same day. However, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations will not hold direct talks.
The announcement from Zelenskyj came during the press conference he held together with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) in Oslo on Thursday.
Zelenskyj, who arrived a few hours earlier at Gardermoen military airport, began by thanking Norway for increased support. The country has recently announced an increased support package to Ukraine of approximately 39 billion Swedish kronor in 2025, reports Norwegian news agency NTB.
Targeted attacks
Then, Zelenskyj commented on the development in Ukraine in light of ongoing discussions about a limited ceasefire that would affect attacks on energy facilities.
Last night, our energy infrastructure was hit by a Russian attack. We in Ukraine experience it every day and every night, as you know. Despite (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's words about being ready to stop the attacks, nothing has changed.
He also reflected on proposals from Washington about taking over nuclear power plants in Ukraine.
We're not going to discuss that. We have 15 nuclear power plants in operation today. They all belong to our state, said Zelenskyj, who, however, opened up for talks with the USA about investments when Ukraine regains control of the facilities – with an indirect reference to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which is occupied by Russia.
Crimea is Ukrainian
He said that the question of future NATO membership is not currently relevant, since the USA opposes Ukrainian participation in the defense alliance:
It's a big gift to Russia.
The Ukrainian president also received a question about the future of the Crimean peninsula, which has been occupied by Russia since 2014.
It's a Ukrainian peninsula, emphasized Zelenskyj and noted that Crimea used to be a popular tourist destination – but not anymore.
