Politico reports:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday denied a report that EU and U.S. officials have spoken with the government in Kyiv about possible peace talks with Russia.

“No leader of the United States or European Union, our partners — nobody puts pressure on us for us sitting at the negotiation table with Russia and give something away,” Zelenskyy told a joint press conference in Kyiv with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was on an unannounced visit to the worn-torn country.

It “has never been like this and will never be,” Zelenskyy said.

NBC News reported Saturday that U.S. and European officials have begun talking with the Ukrainian government about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail, citing one current U.S. official and one former U.S. official familiar with the discussions. The conversations may have included what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a peace deal with Russia, according to the report. [Continue reading…]