European security plan floated by U.S. would benefit Putin, Zelenskyy says
Separately, Ukrainian forces struck a major Russian oil facility on Saturday
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United States had raised the possibility of a new security framework for Europe as part of efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine, warning that Moscow could use such discussions to weaken NATO and reshape the continent's borders.
Separately, Ukrainian forces struck a major Russian oil facility supporting Moscow's war effort, Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement on Saturday.
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Staff → float → Saturday
"In my view, this can be dangerous," Zelenskyy told reporters on Friday, referring to the new security framework.
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Zelenskyy → tell → framework
His comments were embargoed until Saturday.
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comments → embargo → Saturday
The Ukrainian president said he believed Moscow was interested in reopening broader questions about European security rather than focusing exclusively on ending the war.
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Moscow → say → war
Russian President Vladimir Putin's "desire to change borders in Europe is a fact.
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desire → change → Europe
I am sure this is part of his concept of revising security guarantees in Europe," he said.
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he → revise → Europe
“This is dangerous because, in my view, it is precisely things like this that lead to wars or escalations."
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that → lead → wars
European leaders have stressed that decisions about the continent's security must be made by Europeans themselves, warning against allowing Russia to dictate the terms of a new security order or negotiate the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
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Russia → stress → Organization
Zelenskyy said the U.S. had asked for the first time whether Ukraine would withdraw from parts of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine that Russia does not control if Kyiv were admitted to NATO.
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Kyiv → say → NATO
He reiterated that Kyiv would not surrender its territory.
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Kyiv → reiterate → territory
Ukraine is discussing a comprehensive security package with its partners that could include specific guarantees from NATO and the European Union, and strong Ukrainian military and financial support for a specified period, Zelenskyy said.
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Zelenskyy → discuss → period
It would also include a recovery plan.
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It → include → plan
U.S. envoys talk to Zelenskyy in Dublin, after prior sitdown with Putin in Moscow
Russia-Ukraine talks mediated by U.S. end with news of 'good momentum,' large-scale prisoner swap
"
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talks → talk → momentum
If the American side confirms precisely this to us, together with other NATO partners, then I will ask our Ukrainian society what it thinks: Do we accept it or not?" he said, adding that any arrangement would not involve recognizing occupied territories as Russian.
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arrangement → confirm → Russian
Zelenskyy also rejected the possibility of Ukraine committing to neutrality, saying that would require changing the country’s constitution.
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that → reject → constitution
"If Putin expects Ukraine's neutrality to be enshrined, that's not going to happen," he said.
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he → expect → ?
Ukraine hits another major oil facility in Russia
Ukrainian strikes on the Samara oil pipeline station on Friday near the village of Prosvet, in Russia's Samara region, set several oil storage tanks on fire, Ukraine's General Staff said.
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Staff → hit → fire
Moscow has not commented on the strike.
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Moscow → comment → strike
The facility is a key part of the network exporting Russian oil to global markets, the General Staff said.
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Staff → export → markets
The military also said it struck the Lipetsk-2 airfield in Russia's Lipetsk region.
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it → say → region
Separately, 22 people, including three children, were injured in a Russian attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Friday, Ukraine's Emergency Service said.
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Service → include → Friday
The injured include a six-month-old baby, a two-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy.
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injured → injure → baby
Zelenskyy says Europe must decide own future
Zelenskyy warned that broader discussions about Europe's security could allow Putin to seek changes to NATO's military presence, including the withdrawal of American troops.
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Putin → say → troops
He said Putin had raised similar ideas with then-U.S. president Joe Biden in 2021, seeking a redistribution of power in Europe and the world.
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Putin → say → Europe
"I think Putin will bring up Finland and Sweden.
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Putin → think → Finland
I'm sure he will raise the issue of Hungary and the presence of American troops in the Baltic countries," Zelenskyy said.
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Zelenskyy → raise → countries
Zelenskyy said any changes to Europe's security arrangements must be decided by European NATO members only after the war ends.
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war → say → members
"The sequence should be as follows: a ceasefire, an end to the war in Ukraine and security guarantees for Ukraine," he said.
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he → follow → Ukraine
Energy ceasefire, prisoner exchanges are priorities
Zelenskyy said Ukraine's priorities at meetings this week in Abu Dhabi included an energy ceasefire, reopening the Black Sea, prisoner releases and preparations for a leaders' meeting to end the war.
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priorities → say → war
He said Russian negotiators lacked authority to decide on several issues and that Moscow was unwilling to accept an energy ceasefire.
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Moscow → say → ceasefire
Zelenskyy said talks in Moscow with U.S. negotiators resulted in an agreement to exchange more than 1,000 prisoners of war on each side.
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talks → say → side
He said Washington supported Ukraine's demand for European countries to participate directly in future negotiations, rather than remain outside the main negotiating room.
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countries → say → room
Britain, France, Germany and Italy attended the Abu Dhabi meetings, Zelenskyy said.
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Zelenskyy → attend → meetings
He expected three to five European representatives at future discussions.
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He → expect → discussions
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was open to European participation, adding that it would "help us understand how their stand could help the peace process."
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stand → say → process
He said Russia would accept any representatives European countries chose to send.
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countries → say → representatives
Zelenskyy questions Starshield restrictions
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Zelenskyy → question → restrictions
Zelenskyy accused SpaceX of imposing restrictions on its Starshield satellite system in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, saying the limitations were hampering efforts to intercept Russian drones.
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limitations → accuse → drones
The Ukrainian president questioned the explanation that the problem was technical, saying the restrictions appeared to have been imposed by SpaceX despite previous assurances from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Starshield was more under the control of the U.S. government.
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Starshield → question → government
"The current Starshield restrictions suggest that SpaceX imposed them," Zelenskyy said.
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Zelenskyy → suggest → them
…and 3 more, not listed.
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