President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to sit down at the negotiating table with the Russian dictator, but Putin is afraid to talk to him about ending the war.
The Head of State said this during a conversation with media representatives together with EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“We will work with partners to have a common understanding and vision [of the end of the war]. Even if Russia does not like something, we need a common vision among our partners, and then we are ready for diplomacy. Certainly, the United States, President Trump and the European Union believe that diplomacy is impossible without Russia, without Putin, and so I said: I am ready. If we have an understanding of how this war will end, we are ready for diplomacy. I have no problem with that,” Zelensky emphasized.
Answering the question whether he would cancel the decree that makes it impossible to hold talks with Putin, the President noted that “this is the narrative of the Russian Federation.”
“They will constantly be looking for a chance not to meet,” Zelensky said, adding that Putin is afraid to talk to him about ending the war.
“But nevertheless, I think Trump will be able to make him end the war,” the President emphasized.
As Ukrinform reported, in October 2022, Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree enacting the decision of the National Security and Defense Council “On Ukraine’s actions in response to the Russian Federation’s attempt to annex the territories of our country, in order to guarantee the security of the Euro-Atlantic space, Ukraine and the restoration of its territorial integrity.” The NSDC decision states that it is impossible to hold negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
