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I was asked this week if I see Ukraine as an equal member in the peace process, and I didn't say "yes." However, Ukraine will have a seat at the table. I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine without Ukraine present. This is our war, and these are our human losses. We are thankful for all the support and unity from the USA, including bipartisan support. However, no leader in the world can make a deal with Putin about Ukraine without Ukraine being involved.

Good afternoon. I ask you to convene here today to inform you about how the negotiations are going on on the Ukrainian crisis and how the negotiations are developing in the bilateral format with the Ukrainian delegation in one way or another. And two, I'd like to inform you about at what stage we are currently with the American administration. We know that they are taking quite vigorous and sincere efforts to put an end to the hostilities, to put an end to this crisis, and to reach an agreement that would be of interest for all the parties involved in this conflict to ensure durable conditions for peace between our countries and in Europe in general and globally as well. If the next stage would be agreement about strategic offensive weapons, that's what I wanted to say in the beginning.

In the past two weeks, we've probably had more progress in ending this war than we have in the past three and a half years. And I think the fact that we're around this table today is is very much symbolic in the sense that it's team Europe and team United States helping Ukraine. And the progress that we're looking out of this meeting is about the security guarantees.

We are open to dialogue with the new US administration regarding the Ukrainian conflict. The key is to address the root causes of the conflict. The aim should not be a temporary ceasefire or a chance to regroup, but a lasting peace that respects the lawful interests of all people and nationalities in the region. We will advocate for the interests of Russia and its people, which is the primary objective of the special military operation.

There is concern from the Europeans that Zelensky is being bullied into signing something away, which is why European leaders are coming as backup tomorrow. They are coming here tomorrow because we've been working with the Europeans; the president invited them to come. The president told those European leaders last week that he wanted to cease fire, and he said on television he would walk out if Putin didn’t agree, with severe consequences if he didn’t. He spent three hours with Putin and did not get one. Our goal is a peace agreement to end this war. There was enough progress in the talks to move to the next phase. If peace is not possible and the war continues, thousands will die. The president could impose new sanctions, but that would end talks; it will require concessions from both sides.

In 2022, during the last contact with the previous administration, I tried to convince my former American colleague that the situation should not be brought to the point of no return regarding hostilities, and to accept it back then. That's a big mistake. Today, Trump says that if he was the president back then, there would be no war, and I am quite sure that it would indeed be so. I can confirm that. I believe that me and President Trump have built a very good, business-like and trustworthy contact, and I have every reason to believe that moving down this path, we can reach the end of the conflict sooner.

I see the hatred for Putin, and it's tough to make a deal with that. I want to get this thing settled. I could be tougher than anyone, but you won't get a deal that way. We had a president who talked tough about Putin, but Putin still invaded. Diplomacy is the path to peace. Russia occupied parts of Ukraine in 2014, and nobody stopped him. We signed ceasefire and gas contracts, but he broke the ceasefire and didn't exchange prisoners. What kind of diplomacy are we talking about? I'm talking about ending the destruction of your country. It's disrespectful to litigate this here. You should be thanking us for trying to bring this to a conference.

The Alaska Summit reinforced my belief that while difficult pieces within reach, I believe that in a very significant step, President Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine, and this is one of the key points that we need to consider. We're going to be considering that at the table, also, like who will do what, essentially. I'm optimistic that collectively we can reach an agreement.

It's an honor to have President Zelenskyy. We've been working closely together for a long time and have a very fair deal. We're committed to working with Ukraine, and we've had good discussions with Russia. We want to stop the killing and rebuild. The Biden administration didn't speak to Russia, but if I were president, this war would have never happened. Your soldiers have been unbelievably brave, and we've given them great equipment. I give tremendous credit to your generals, soldiers, and yourself. We want to get this over with. We're going to sign the agreement soon and discuss other things. The exciting moment is when the shooting stops and we have a deal, and I think we're fairly close.

I'm not aligned with Putin or anyone else, but with the United States and the world's well-being. My goal is to end this conflict. The animosity between sides makes negotiation difficult. While I understand the hatred, both sides harbor resentment. It's not about alignment; I'm focused on global peace and helping Europe. I can be extremely tough, but that approach won't lead to a resolution. Sometimes, the best path forward is through dialogue and compromise, even when dealing with adversaries. A tough approach may feel good, but it won't secure peace.

We've been meeting for a while and we're gonna discuss some of the issues. And I don't think there's any issue that's overly complex. It's at a point now where people wanna do things. I I do I really do believe. I've known him for a long time. I've always had a great relationship with him. I think that president Putin wants to find an answer to, and we'll see. In a period not very far from now, a week or two weeks, we're gonna know whether or not we're gonna solve this, or is this horrible fighting gonna continue? We'll do the best to get it ended. And, I believe you have two willing parties, and usually that's good news, but two willing parties that wanna make a deal. We'll journey together, and we'll go over, and we'll, see if it could be done. And it might it's possible it might not be able to be done. On the other hand, it's possible it will. It will save thousands and thousands of lives a week.

And I can tell you, and I I hope that he will also hear this, that strange though it may seem, but throughout these days, both during informal and formal talks, there was not one case when anyone voiced a negative opinion about the current US administration, not once during these four days. All of all the people that I talked to supported the meeting that we had in Anchorage, and they all expressed hope that the position held by president Trump and the position held by Russia and all the other parties will lead to an end of this conflict. So that is something that I'm saying without any kind of irony. And since I'm saying this publicly and everyone in the world will hear this, It is a direct it is a direct confirmation of the fact that it's true because all of those people will hear me.

We, as US officials and diplomats, engage in discussions on global issues, especially those we're closely involved in. These private diplomatic conversations happen all the time and include discussions about potential UN involvement. It shouldn't be a surprise that we discuss these things. There's a difference between private discussions within the interagency process and what we convey publicly as the US government. Publicly, we convey our official position. Saying privately that we're "cooking up a deal" while publicly stating it's up to Ukrainians to decide presents two different positions. However, these internal discussions are a normal part of diplomacy. I disagree with the characterization of a "deal" based on a few minutes from a private phone call; it's an overstatement.

The press is focused on narratives, but I am focused on peace. Characterizing my stance as pro-Russia or anything else is garbage. I was elected to bring peace to this conflict, and I'm working with both sides in a way that only I can. Only I can bring them to the table to end the killing. Being behind the scenes, I am laser-focused on making that happen. We're closer today than ever before because of my leadership.

Speaker 0: "You know there is concern from the Europeans that president Zelensky is going to be bullied into signing something away." "That’s why you have these European leaders coming as backup tomorrow." Speaker 1: "It isn't. ... They're not coming here tomorrow to keep Zelenskyy from being bullied." He adds: "We've had one meeting with Putin and, like, a dozen meetings with Zelensky." "We've been working with these people for weeks." "They're coming here tomorrow because they chose to come here tomorrow." He notes "there was enough progress" to "move to the next phase" and "enough movement to justify a follow-up meeting with Zelensky and the Europeans." On sanctions, he says: "If peace is not gonna be possible here... the president has that option to then come in and impose new sanctions. But if he did this now, ... that's the end of the talks." "We wanna wind up with a peace deal that ends this war" and "It will require both sides to make concessions."

I see the hatred for Putin, making a deal tough. I want peace and am aligned with the world. I can be tough, but deals require more than that. Previous chest-thumping didn't work, diplomacy is needed. Trump's engaging in diplomacy. Russia occupied parts of Ukraine, nobody stopped them. Ceasefires were signed but broken, prisoners weren't exchanged. What kind of diplomacy are we even talking about? I'm trying to end the destruction of your country, but don't come here and start a fight. You're forcing conscripts to the front lines. Be thankful I'm trying to resolve this conflict. You should be appreciating the country that's backing you far more than a lot of people said they should have, and has given you billions of dollars in military equipment. Be thankful. You don't have the cards. If we get a ceasefire, you'd want to take it.

You wanted it to end immediately, and I wanted a ceasefire now, but he doesn't want a ceasefire. Now, he's a big shot because he has the US to decide. Either we end it, or we let him fight it out. Without us, he doesn't win. I'm not saying what I'm considering; I'm just telling you what I saw today. That wasn't a man who wanted to make peace, and I'm only interested if he wants to end the bloodshed.

We will work towards a safer, more peaceful future through direct diplomacy until we find a final solution.

I met with the opposition and the foreign minister this weekend. It's up to the Ukrainian people to decide the path forward, but discussions are happening. These are more than discussions. Top US officials are on the ground, discussing a plan to broker a future government, involving the UN. The US is midwifing the process. These are private diplomatic conversations where we discuss UN involvement. It's dishonest to say we don't have an opinion. There's a difference between private discussions and our public position. As diplomats, we discuss a range of options. Saying privately you're cooking up a deal, then saying publicly it's up to Ukrainians, those are different positions. Diplomatic discussions are sensitive, but those are totally different positions. You're overstating a private phone call.

The Alaska summit reinforced my belief that “president Putin agreed that Russia would accept security guarantees for Ukraine,” a key point to consider. “I'm optimistic that, collectively, we can reach an agreement that would deter any future aggression against Ukraine,” though I also note, “I actually think there won't be. I think that's even over overrated, largely overrated.” European nations are gonna take a lot of the burden; “we're gonna help them, and we're gonna make it very secure.” We also need to discuss “the possible exchanges of territory taken into consideration the current line of contact.” That means “the war zone, the war lines that are pretty obvious, very sad, actually, to look at them.” The next step: “a trilateral meeting, and that will be worked out.” “I have a feeling you and president Putin are gonna work something out.” Ultimately, Zelensky and the Ukrainian people, with Putin, must decide. “I'll set up a meeting with President Putin.” “All of us would obviously prefer an immediate ceasefire … maybe something like that could happen.” “As of this moment, it's not happening.” “I believe a peace agreement … is very attainable,” and “The next step would be for a trilateral meeting, and that will be worked out.”

I need to align myself with everyone to get a deal done. I'm aligned with the United States and the world, and I want to end this. Others have tremendous hatred, which makes it tough to make a deal. I could be tougher than anyone, but that won't get us a deal. We need diplomacy to end the destruction. Some people stood up and talked tough, but Putin still invaded. I'm trying to bring an end to this conflict. You should be thankful for what we are trying to do. You are gambling with World War Three and you are disrespectful to this country. We've given you so much money and equipment. I empowered you to be tough, but you're not acting thankful. If we're out, you'll fight it out, but it won't be pretty.

I'm aligned with the US and the world, and I want to end this conflict. It's hard to make a deal with so much hatred. I could be tough, but that won't get us anywhere. For four years, tough talk didn't stop Putin. Diplomacy is the path to peace. Others didn't stop Putin from occupying parts of Ukraine since 2014. We signed ceasefire and gas contracts, but he broke them, killing people and not exchanging prisoners. I am trying to end the destruction of your country. Everyone has problems during war, even you. You've allowed yourself to be in a bad position. You're gambling with lives and World War III, and that's disrespectful to the US. You haven't said thank you, and campaigned against us. Your country is in trouble and not winning. If we are out, you will be fighting on your own.

We will not fight with one hand tied behind our back. We hope this fighting will be short and casualties will be minimal. We have made progress in ending conflict and the cold war. We have the opportunity to create a new world order, where the rule of law governs nations. When we succeed, we can establish a credible United Nations that fulfills the vision of its founders. We have no argument.

I'm thankful to the American people, President Trump, and Congress for the support you've given us these last three years. We are strategic partners, and we need to be honest with each other to stop Putin. I respect President Trump's desire to end this war, but no one wants it more than we do. We need him and our European partners to pressure Putin. I respect President Trump and the American people, and I don't believe we've done anything wrong. We need to openly discuss Ukraine's position. We are ready to sign the minerals deal as a first step towards security guarantees, but it’s not enough. I wanted to share my thoughts with the President because this is sensitive for our people, who want to know America is on our side. I want a just and lasting peace with security guarantees.

Speaker 0 outlines three outcomes: (1) there will be a NATO-Russia agreement that all the leaders will support; although they disagree on expansion, they agree that there must be a partnership between NATO and Russia going forward into the future. (2) the notion that Russia should play a larger role in international economic institutions, and that if certain internal changes are made, which president Yeltsin has already announced his support for, then The United States will make a more vigorous effort to facilitate investment in Russia. (3) they resolved a number of roadblocks relating to START II and other related issues which permitted us to say that president Yeltsin would seek a prompt ratification of START II and we would together support guidelines for START III, which we would hope could be negotiated quickly after that, which would reduce the Cold War arsenals by, over 80% from their Cold War height to more or less 80%. These are dramatic and very substantial results. Speaker 1: Just a moment. you've touched on a very current issue which has to be clarified all the way. well, you understand, of course, why is it that the state DOMA has not yet ratified START two?