KEY POINTS
- Zelensky has suggested foreign troops could be deployed to Ukraine before NATO membership agreed.
- Donald Trump called on Sunday for an immediate truce and negotiations to end the conflict.
- The US has announced that it has disbursed a $20 billion loan for Ukraine.
KYIV: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has made the case for a diplomatic settlement to war in Ukraine and raised the idea of foreign forces being deployed in his country until it could join the NATO alliance.
The remarks at a joint news conference with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz were the latest to signal Ukraine’s increasing openness to war negotiations, with Donald Trump making preparation to return to the White House.
Zelensky’s made the remarks as Donald Trump, who has said he seeks to end the war quickly, called on Sunday for an immediate truce and negotiations to end the “madness”, following he met President Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron for talks in Paris.
“Kyiv wants this conflict to end more than anyone else. No doubt, a diplomatic resolution would save more lives. We do seek it,” Zelensky told reporters on Monday.
He added that he discussed a “freezing” of the lines in the war when he met Trump and Macron. Russia controls about a fifth of Ukrainian territory following launching the 2022.
US disburses $20 bn Ukraine loan backed by profits from Russian assets
AFP reported that the United States has announced that it has disbursed a $20 billion loan for Ukraine backed by proceeds earned on frozen Russian assets, as part of a $50 billion G7 support package.
The money forms a significant chunk of the $50 billion in new loans finalized by Group of Seven advanced economies in October, aimed at helping Kyiv as it struggles to fight back against Moscow’s ongoing invasion.
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The funds come at a crucial juncture for Kyiv as questions swirl over the future of its US backing once President Joe Biden hands over power to Donald Trump in January.
The incoming president has questioned the level of financial support given to Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion, saying over the weekend he will “probably” reduce aid to Kyiv.
“These funds — paid for by the windfall proceeds earned from Russia’s own immobilized assets — will provide Ukraine a critical infusion of support as it defends its country against an unprovoked war of aggression,” US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.
The G7’s loans “will help ensure Ukraine has the resources it needs to sustain emergency services, hospitals and other foundations of its brave resistance,” Yellen added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that he was “deeply grateful” for the disbursement, calling it “a powerful act of justice.”
The support “will strengthen Ukraine’s defense and help protect our sovereignty and people against unprovoked aggression,” he added in a separate statement.
