Zelenskyy explains why Russia rejects key venues for negotiations
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Russia constantly rejects the proposed venues for future negotiations. However, the reason lies not with the countries but in the policy of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, states Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the meeting with Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Germany.
"We talk about this a lot every day, and we are ready. The key is not the venue itself, but the result — the end of the war, that’s what we want. That’s why we are open to any format so that Russia does not say once again, ‘Well, we don’t really want to…’ What are the accusations now? That it shouldn’t be the Vatican or Geneva ‘imposed by Western countries,’ or maybe Istanbul again, or maybe not Istanbul," Zelenskyy emphasized.
He explained that the Russian side will constantly look for reasons not to end the war in Ukraine.
"Although it doesn’t seem very serious. They don’t want a neutral Geneva, but want a NATO-affiliated Türkiye. The question is not which country it is or what alliance it belongs to. The question is exclusively about Putin, about their delaying tactics, constantly looking for reasons to postpone the format in which the war can be ended," he stressed.
Venue for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
On May 18, after an audience with Pope Leo XIV, Zelenskyy announced the Vatican’s readiness to become a venue for direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on the issues of a ceasefire and ending the war.
However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected the idea of holding such a meeting at the Vatican. He stated that Moscow would prefer to hold a new round of negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul.
On May 15, the first direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia were supposed to take place in Türkiye. However, unlike Zelenskyy, the Russian leader did not visit Türkiye.
President Zelenskyy has been discussing the possibility of new negotiations with Russia with partners for a long time.
The head of state noted that three countries are being considered as locations for this: Türkiye, the Vatican, and Switzerland.
