Zelenskyy on Russia talks venue, recalls Trump's tango remark
Photo: Ihor Brusylo, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (facebook.com/president.gov.ua)
The Ukrainian side is waiting for clear signals from Russia about its readiness for negotiations, as official Kyiv is open to any of the already proposed venues for the meeting, according to Ihor Brusylo, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, and his remarks on the national telethon.
The official noted that Switzerland, the Vatican, and Istanbul have already expressed their readiness to host negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Kyiv is open to all these options as possible venues for the meeting.
In this context, the Deputy Head of the Office of the President recalled a phrase by US President Donald Trump about the necessity of two parties participating in the process, using the example of the tango dance.
"To dance the tango, you need two, as the US president says. We need to get some signals from Russia about what they are ready for," Brusilo said.
He added that if Moscow finds "some excuses that the Vatican is unacceptable due to its religious considerations," other venues remain open.
Regarding preparations for a possible future meeting with the Russian side, the official emphasized the importance of clearly defining the agenda before forming the negotiation team.
Brusilo pointed out that such an agenda "is formed by the country hosting the negotiations," since it "acts as a mediator between the two parties."
"By defining and outlining a specific agenda, it becomes possible to form the team depending on the competencies of each member," he explained.
The Deputy Head of the Office added that work on this is currently underway.
On location of Ukraine-Russia negotiations
On May 18, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after an audience with Pope Leo XIV, announced the Vatican’s readiness to become a venue for direct talks between Ukraine and Russia regarding a ceasefire and ending the war.
Later, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that the pontiff confirmed his willingness to host negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian sides in the Vatican.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected the idea of such a meeting in the Vatican, stating that Moscow would prefer to hold a new round of negotiations in Istanbul.
On May 27, US President’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said that another peace talks meeting could take place in Geneva.
Trump's mentions of tango
The American president has repeatedly referenced the tango, a music and dance genre, in his statements, highlighting that the process requires two people (allegorically, two parties).
Trump has used the phrase "it takes two to tango" in various contexts, including negotiations between Ukraine and Russia over ending the war, nuclear talks with Iran, and even regarding the idea of Canada joining the US.
Additionally, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has also quoted Trump's expression about tango when stressing that Russia must do more to end the war with Ukraine.
