Zelenskyy rules out compromises with Putin: 'Who is he?'
Photo: President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin does not want peace in Ukraine. Therefore, negotiations with him or his Kremlin allies are impossible, as are compromises, says the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an interview with Latin American media.
"First of all, he (Putin) does not need peace. When we want to solve a problem, we must understand that it is needed by all parties. We want to end the war," said the president.
Zelenskyy says that he cannot imagine negotiations with the Russian dictator or the Russian side regarding the people living in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
"How can I negotiate with Putin? Let's forget for a moment that he is a murderer. With the Russians. How can I negotiate about people who live in some towns or villages that have been occupied, who live there? And then two people or two teams sit down and say: let them be yours. Who are we to decide where a person should live, who to be, what language to speak, which flag to respect? Who are we?" expressed the head of state.
The president emphasized that according to the Constitution of Ukraine, he must protect the rights and freedoms of the people, help and liberate them from the occupiers. Alongside him, there should be citizens willing to take up arms and help people under occupation.
Does anyone want to die? No. Everyone is alive. But this person (Putin, - editor) does not want any dialogue; he does not want to stop the war. For him, stopping the war today is just two words over the phone. To tell his troops to withdraw. This is restoration, full restoration (of the territory, - editor), then it's purely diplomacy, then a conversation without any weapons. This person does not want to do that; he is not interested," emphasized Zelenskyy.
The president reminded that in 2014, after the occupation of parts of Donbas by Russia, Putin claimed that he did not intend to wage a full-scale war against Ukraine. At that time, the dictator's justification was that he was supposedly helping Russian speakers.
"If that's the case, why did he go into a full-scale war? Everything he says is a lie. He is not interested in an independent Ukraine; he wants Ukraine as a part, an enclave of Russia, as he did with Belarus, as he did with Moldova, Georgia. Everywhere, like with us - a captured part of the integral territory, to prevent stability and eventually come and capture it completely. Ukraine is just a large country, and he has failed. Because what compromise can you reach with him? Who is he? I cannot bargain with people. And with whom? With a person whose word is worth nothing. These are not guarantees," Zelenskyy stressed.
Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
It is worth noting that Ukraine and Russia conducted several rounds of negotiations at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, but they are currently "on pause." The Ukrainian government emphasizes that Ukraine will not return to the negotiating table until Moscow withdraws its troops.
Recently, the American television channel NBC News, citing American and European officials, reported that the US and the EU have begun privately discussing potential peace talks with Russia. According to media reports, these talks included discussions about what Ukraine might have to give up in exchange for peace.
On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refuted the media reports. He emphasized that no one is pressuring Ukraine in terms of negotiations.
