KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was on a whirlwind 36-hour tour of Europe this week, leaving little time for a traditional news conference, so he improvised.
For the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Russia, Zelensky communicated with the news media via a group chat. Zelensky usually answers reporters’ questions in person as he travels around the world. While flying between London and Brussels, he answered a long list of questions from Ukrainian and international journalists and forwarded audio clips on WhatsApp.
His choice of communication method was, if not unprecedented, then at least extremely rare for a world leader.
The low drone of the planes blended with his hoarse, tired voice, but his message was clear: Ukraine cannot give up its land while talks to end the war are uncertain, he said.
“There is no doubt that Russia insists on our giving up territory,” he said in a fiery message late Monday. “We have no legal right to do so… and frankly, we have no moral right either.”
Changing diplomatic landscape
With the prospect of negotiations changing by the day, Zelenskiy’s team has begun a tight schedule to win over Europe’s support.
Zelenskiy met with the leaders of Britain, Germany and France in London and NATO and EU leaders in Brussels before traveling to Rome for talks with the Italian prime minister and Pope Leo XIV.
A key issue under discussion is whether Ukraine should give up Russian-held territory in exchange for security guarantees, but negotiations are complicated by uncertainty about the Trump administration’s commitment to European security.
Keep risks visible
Since the beginning of the war, Zelensky has shown a desire to communicate in real time by any means necessary.
As Kyiv was under siege shortly after Russia launched a full-scale invasion in 2022, Zelensky sought to reassure the public in what appeared to be a cellphone video with three senior officials – perhaps his most famous speech.
“We’re all here,” he said at the time. “Our soldiers are here, the citizens of our country are here to protect our independence and we will continue to do so.”
Since then, Zelensky has made frequent communication a strategic priority, in a sleep-destroying cycle of video messages, remote speeches to Western parliaments and conferences, late-night postings and high-security public appearances.
The WhatsApp exchange ended when his plane landed in Brussels on Monday evening, just before he was taken to the next round of meetings.
He asked reporters: “What do you think of this format? If it suits you, then when we have the opportunity, we will share our thoughts and decisions in this way again.”