Zelensky seeks diplomatic end to war

KYIV, Dec 10 (Reuters/BBC): President Volodymyr Zelensky made the case on Monday for a diplomatic settlement to Russia's war in Ukraine and raised the idea of foreign troops being deployed in his country until it could join the NATO military alliance.

The remarks at a joint press conference with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz were the latest to signal Kyiv's increasing openness to war negotiations, with Donald Trump preparing to return to the White House on Jan 20.

The US president-elect, who has said he wants to end the war quickly, called on Sunday for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations to end the "madness", after he met Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron for talks in Paris.

"Ukraine wants this war to end more than anyone else. No doubt, a diplomatic resolution would save more lives. We do seek it," Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv on Monday.

Zelensky's spokesperson Serhiy Nikiforov said later that Kyiv was preparing a December meeting of key European partners who together with the US were "capable of ensuring the maximum strengthening of our state".

The aim was to develop a joint position that would hold strong both in negotiations and on the battlefield, he added.

Zelensky said he had discussed a "freezing" of the lines in the war when he met Macron and Trump. Russia controls nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory after launching the 2022 invasion that unleashed the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two.

Zelensky said he told the two leaders that he did not believe Putin actually wanted to end the war and that the Russian president had to be forced to make peace.

"You can only exert force if Ukraine is strong. A strong Ukraine before any diplomacy means a strong (Ukraine) on the battlefield," he said, implying Kyiv needed help to become stronger.

He received a rhetorical boost from Merz, the frontrunner in the election race to become Germany's next chancellor, who used his visit to liken Berlin's current policy to making Ukraine fight with one arm tied behind its back.

Zelensky also returned to an idea raised in February by Macron, who floated the possibility of European nations sending troops to Ukraine. There was no consensus on the matter among the European leaders.

"We can think and work on Emmanuel's position. He suggested that some part of the troops of a country be present on the territory of Ukraine, which would guarantee us security while Ukraine is not in NATO," Zelensky said.

"But we must have a clear understanding of when Ukraine will be in the EU and when Ukraine will be in NATO," he added.

Kyiv, which has made a concerted push to obtain an invitation to join NATO, has insisted throughout the war that it needs security guarantees to prevent Russia launching another invasion once the current hostilities are halted.