Poroshenko ‘Very Surprised’ in Meeting With Zelensky Over War Ending Terms

Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told Kyiv Post he was “very surprised” by his recent conversation with President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of Friday’s Black Sea Security Forum.

Poroshenko announced the meeting on Wednesday via a Facebook post. The talks were part of Zelensky’s separate meetings with parliamentary faction leaders, amid long-standing political rivalry between the two figures.

Poroshenko said Wednesday’s meeting generated hope. 

“I was very surprised by the wave of interest, attention, and hope that was generated by the meeting with Zelensky. I think this is a positive sign,” Poroshenko said.

He declined to disclose details of Wednesday’s meeting, noting that both sides had agreed not to comment publicly. However, he said his perception of the meeting had shifted.

“I entered the meeting with a certain degree of distrust and skepticism regarding the sincerity of Zelensky’s desire to end the war. However, when I left the meeting, I was less skeptical,” he said.

Poroshenko added that a large portion of the discussion focused on how to achieve peace.

“Peace – on Ukraine’s terms. Under no circumstances through the surrender of territories or anything else; peace when Russia becomes weak and demonstrates a lack of success with military operations, along with the effectiveness of international sanctions, will be forced to sign for peace,” Poroshenko said.

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According to him, Russia’s earlier claims of military success had been undermined by Ukrainian resistance, giving grounds for “cautious optimism” for a possible victory.

Tensions between the two have long been high, particularly after Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council imposed sanctions on Poroshenko in 2025, a move he claimed was politically motivated and driven by Zelensky.

But the meeting signals a possible shift in relations between the two leaders amid the continued strain of Russia’s war against Ukraine.