Zelenskyy: Hugging Putin Won’t Help—Decades of Doing So Have Only Made Things Worse

Addressing the European Political Community summit in Budapest, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of sufficient military support to Ukraine and the meaninglessness of being friendly with Putin.

“Firstly, I thank all of you for your support of Ukraine and our people. We are defending ourselves not against Russian words, but against Russian attacks. Therefore, we need sufficient weapons, not support in talks. Hugs with Putin won’t help. Some of you have been hugging him for 20 years, and things are only getting worse. He thinks only about wars and will not change. Only pressure can put limits on him,” Zelenskyy said.

“And let me emphasize – this war is taking place on Ukrainian soil. Ukraine is grateful for all the support from our partners, we are open to any constructive ideas to achieve a just peace for our country. But it is up to Ukraine to decide what should and should not be on the agenda for ending this war,” Zelenskyy added.

Zelenskyy emphasized that there should be no illusion that by showing weakness or selling out some European positions or any European country’s standing, one can buy just peace.

“Russia started this war not because it needed more territory. Russia has more land than anyone. They wanted global power, starting with control over Ukraine and then over all of you, as they once did under Soviet or imperial rule. Budapest remembers what Soviet tanks looked like. Ukrainian cities will not forget Russian bombs. And just like Budapest, every city in Ukraine and all our countries deserves security and peace,“ he said.

Zelenskyy stated that during the European Political Community (EPC) forum on November 7. The EPC is an intergovernmental forum created in 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It aims to foster political discussions on Europe's future and strengthen the continent’s security. The meeting is taking place in Budapest on November 7.

Earlier, Ukraine’s President's Office expressed doubts about the credibility of the peace plan attributed to the advisers of US President-elect Donald Trump, which allegedly includes freezing the front line and forgoing NATO membership for Ukraine.