Ukraine ready for talks to end war: Zelenskyy names condition
Kyiv is open to various dialogue formats, but any peace decisions must involve Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy / © Associated Press / © Associated Press
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Russia is not interested in direct talks with Kyiv, and Vladimir Putin «will do everything to avoid a meeting».
He made the remarks during a meeting with journalists.
«Putin will do everything to avoid meeting me. He doesn’t need a Russia-Ukraine agreement in itself. Or does he just want to spit in our face and say — „Who are you? I’ll decide without you“,» the President noted.
Zelenskyy stressed that the format of talks does not matter to him — only that Ukraine take part fully.
«Frankly, I don’t care in what format we can end the war. But it can’t be done without us. And that’s crucial. So if it’s „shuttle diplomacy“, where President Trump meets Putin, then President Trump meets me, fine — let it be that format. I’ve always said honestly that the format doesn’t matter — we’re ready to meet. This shows we’re open to talks, and then comes the format. It’s not about a format where the two of them decide for us. No, that’s without us,» the Head of State stressed.
The President also added that Trump has already «sent Putin political signals and passes», but the latter responded with «pure lies».
«We’ll see what happens next, but for now, that’s how it is. So why would President Trump negotiate something with Putin without considering our position? Who said we’d accept that position later? That doesn’t benefit anyone,» Zelenskyy noted.
Zelenskyy observes that the US President currently needs an international success, and Kyiv is interested in America achieving it, as this would speed Ukraine’s recovery.
«President Trump needs a success after the Middle East, and he wants it. I’d very much like America to succeed too. Everyone would be happy, and we’d be happy — the war would end. If America succeeds, it means we can very quickly make decisions on restoring our state, and everything needed for that restoration will be found. I’ve definitely received signals from the American side. It’s important for us to know and understand this,» the Head of State said.