Russia will do everything to avoid meeting; they gained something, Zelenskyy says
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Russia will do everything to avoid the meeting, but some signals indicate that the talks may still take place, states Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a briefing.
The head of state commented on Donald Trump’s proposal to first hold a bilateral meeting and then a trilateral one.
"The Russians will do everything to avoid meeting. In my view, they gained something because they had a meeting with the US. If the meeting had been proposed as trilateral from the start, there would have been a greater chance of a trilateral meeting before this bilateral track between the US and Russia, but it is what it is — we did not decide that,” Zelenskyy said.
When asked about signs that Putin (the Russian President - ed.) is preparing for the meeting, Zelensky replied that "two parallel processes are taking place. They (Russia - ed.) are considering how this meeting is possible, but will do everything to prevent it from happening."
At the same time, he said that if "the pieces fall into place" — with both the Global South and the US playing their roles — Russia must be ready for talks.
"For example, when we hear ultimatums from Peskov, we see that it looks like a delay and preparation of a radicalized society that sees no point in meeting with us," Zelenskyy added.
The head of state emphasized, "Ukraine supports any negotiation format and is ready to participate in trilateral talks if they take place."
Zelenskyy-Putin meeting
The idea of a meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin emerged after US President Donald Trump held talks with the Russian leader in Alaska.
Several venues are currently being considered for organizing the summit, and according to media reports, the US prefers Budapest as a neutral location. At the same time, it is known that the Kremlin proposed holding the talks in Moscow, but the Ukrainian president refused.
In addition, Russia has put forward a number of new conditions for possible negotiations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Putin is supposedly ready to meet with Zelenskyy, but only on the condition that all issues that may be raised at the level of heads of state are thoroughly worked out.
