Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he is ready for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin only if he accepts the ceasefire along the current battle lines.
Zelenskyy met with United States President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday and had earlier resonated the call to stop the troops where they are.
Ukrainian leader, in his latest interview on Sunday, said he agrees with Trump on the possible settlement of the ongoing crisis. “Yes, I agree. If we want to stop this war and go to peace negotiations, urgently and diplomatically, we need to stay where we are at the moment,” he said.
Though he said his country would not surrender additional territory to Russia. Zelenskyy said he was ready to engage with Russian leadership “in any format, bilateral or trilateral,” but only after the hostilities stop.
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“Talks won’t happen while bombs and missiles are dropping,” he said. When asked if he would push for an invitation to Trump’s planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary, Zelensky replied, “I’m ready.”
Zelenskyy confirmed that Trump had so far rejected the request to provide Kyiv with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Russia, on the other hand, said that the ceasefire would only work once Ukraine withdraws its troops from parts of Russian-controlled territories, halts mobilisation, and stops receiving foreign aid.
Apart from that, Moscow also demanded that Ukraine recognise Russia’s new borders and abandon plans to join NATO. Putin said that he was ready to meet with Zelenskyy but only after a peace treaty was ready for signing.
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