Zelensky Warns Against Major Powers' Attempts to Redraw Global Influence
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Wednesday about potential attempts to redistribute spheres of influence among major global powers, ahead of a planned trilateral meeting involving U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Moscow announced arrangements for this unprecedented trilateral summit, set to take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in mid-November, a move welcomed by the U.S. side. Zelensky expressed uncertainty about the topics China, Russia, and the United States would discuss, firmly rejecting any transformation of the meeting into a Yalta-style conference reminiscent of 1945, which redrew Europe's post-war borders and led to its division into two blocs. The Yalta conference remains a historical symbol of great powers deciding the fate of smaller nations without their direct participation. Russia has long sought a comprehensive understanding with the U.S. regarding Europe's security architecture, particularly aiming to halt NATO's expansion near its borders, which it views as an existential threat. Zelensky emphasized his belief that Russia is the party most eager for this meeting and called for denying it any new diplomatic gains. Separately, a meeting involving Russian, Ukrainian, and American representatives is expected in the UAE in November to revive stalled peace efforts concerning the war in Ukraine that halted earlier this year. The Ukrainian president expressed strong desire for this meeting to occur in Abu Dhabi before the scheduled APEC summit. Kyiv is primarily focused on achieving a maritime ceasefire to secure its grain exports, which have been hindered by Russian attacks in the Black Sea, alongside a ceasefire in the energy sector before winter. Russia, meanwhile, refuses to halt fighting before reaching agreements on core issues. Zelensky also voiced frustration over the slow delivery of U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine, which are the only weapons capable of downing Russia’s most advanced missiles. He noted that the current delivery rate averages 12 missiles per month, meaning the full complement would not be received until 2026, and pointed out a significant shortage of Norwegian-made NASAMS interceptor missiles. Last week, Zelensky accused the U.S. of deliberately delaying deliveries amid tensions with Trump.
