The Albany Gazette - Ukraine peace talks, NATO invite may hinge on US elections, Zelensky says

The United States is Kyiv's most important military, financial and political backer, but there are fears a victory for Donald Trump could threaten Washington's multi-billion dollar support.

The Ukrainian leader has been on a diplomatic offensive ahead of the vote to press Western leaders for more support to help Ukraine win the war with Russia now grinding through a third year.

Zelensky this month unveiled his "Victory Plan" where chief among the proposals was a call for Ukraine to be given an "immediate" invitation to the join the US-led NATO military alliance.

"After the election, we hope for a more positive reaction from the United States. Not because of the change of the president, but simply because the focus, the attention of the United States is now on the elections," he told journalists in Kyiv on Monday.

"I think they don't want to take unnecessary risks," the 46-year-old leader said in comments held under embargo until Tuesday.

He added that while he enjoyed a good personal relationship with Chancellor Olaf Scholz that he believed Germany was concerned how Russia would react if Ukraine were invited to join the NATO military alliance.

- Germany 'afraid' -

"It is a fact that the German side is sceptical about us joining NATO," Zelensky said.

"They are afraid of the NATO-Germany issue in terms of the Russian reaction."

He said he believed France and Britain supported him, and that the response of Germany and other NATO countries like Hungary and Slovakia "depends on the United States."

Zelensky again told journalists that Ukraine was not seeking nuclear weapons, just a few days after suggesting Kyiv needs either NATO membership or nuclear arms.

Ukraine surrendered the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal after the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. It dismantled the arsenal in return for security guarantees from Russia and the United States.

"We gave away nuclear weapons. We did not get NATO. All we got was a full-scale war and many victims, so today we have only one way out," he told reporters.

"We need NATO, because we don't have the weapons that can stop Putin," he added.

Asked whether he thought Moscow was ready for negotiations, Zelensky told journalists: "First of all, it depends on the elections in the United States. I think they will be watching the policy of the United States."

Zelensky said based on conversations with Trump and the Democrats' Kamala Harris, he expects the United States to "demonstrate the policy very quickly, after the elections".

"They will not wait until January," he added.

- 'Good' meetings with candidates -

Trump has expressed scepticism over Washington's military and financial support for Kyiv, and there are fears a Republican victory could create problems as Ukraine battles Russian forces in the east and south.

But Zelensky said he had held "good" meetings with Trump and Vice President Harris.

"I had a good meeting with Trump. It was very positive. And I'm glad about that. I had a very good meeting with Harris, not the first one," Zelensky said.

Zelensky spoke to reporters in Kyiv on Monday, in remarks embargoed until Tuesday.

There are no signs that either Kyiv or Moscow is yet open to wider talks on ending the conflict that started in February 2022.

Putin has demanded Ukraine effectively capitulate by abandoning more territory in its south and east as a precondition to a ceasefire.

Zelensky has refused to countenance ceding land to secure a peace deal and ruled out direct talks with Putin.

Speaking last month at the UN Security Council -- where Russia is a permanent member -- that Moscow "can only be forced into peace".

Moscow's forces are advancing on the battlefield, where they have greater manpower and superior equipment.

Russian drone and artillery attacks killed five people, including a child, in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Sumy and Donetsk on Tuesday, officials said.

(K.Jones--TAG)