The Kremlin is ready to discuss bilateral relations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but will not communicate with him as a party to the conflict in Donbass. This was announced on December 26 by the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov.
“You know that Zelensky wants to discuss with [президентом РФ Владимиром] Putin as a party to the conflict. The settlement issue is not a question for Putin. Putin says that if you want to communicate, let’s talk about bilateral relations, ”he said on the air of the Russia 1 TV channel.
When asked if the Ukrainian leader could come to the meeting of CIS heads of state next week in St. Petersburg, Peskov laughed: “Zelenskiy can come, of course, but I don’t think he will.”
The Kremlin spokesman agreed that formally the head of the Ukrainian state could have done this, since his country is related to the CIS.
A day earlier, the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, announced Zelensky’s unsuccessful attempt to contact Putin by phone. According to him, negotiations between the two heads of state will take place only when there is confidence that “the President of the Russian Federation is ready to talk and there will be a subject for conversation.” At the same time, Yermak confirmed Zelensky’s readiness to meet with Putin, but admitted that there is no specific date for this event yet.
Prior to that, on December 21, the President of Ukraine announced that he was ready to meet with Putin in any format. He noted that the dialogue can take place both with the involvement of mediators, and directly with the leadership of Russia. According to the politician, Kiev is “not afraid” of talking with Moscow.
On December 16, the Ukrainian leader said he believed in a diplomatic solution to his differences with Russia. As Zelenskiy said, not all European leaders fully understand what is happening on the Ukrainian border. According to him, the main thing is that the Russian side is aware of the consequences of the escalation.
In October, Peskov said that prospects for negotiations between Putin and Zelensky were not visible due to the actions of the Ukrainian authorities, which did not fulfill the Minsk agreements. He added that it is very difficult to negotiate with the Ukrainian leader, since he considers Russia a participant in the conflict in Donbass, which, according to a Kremlin spokesman, is completely untrue.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
