Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he is not going to succumb to ultimatums from Russia, and also commented on the negotiations between representatives of the Russian Federation and representatives of the USA, reports UNN.
Russia attacked Ukraine and we could not choose anything other than to take up arms and defend ourselves... No one was helping Ukraine at that moment. Then, when everyone saw that Putin would not be able to capture our state, that our people would not go anywhere, the military would not go anywhere, that the President of Ukraine would not run away, and then everyone understood that they need to help Ukraine and only then did that or other assistance begin
The President recalled that at the beginning of the invasion, Russia put forward an ultimatum - to reduce the number of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to recognize the occupied territories of Ukraine as the territories of the Russian Federation.
They wanted to put a pro-Russian leadership in power, so that it would be fully in Putin's vertical. I have the impression that some kind of negotiations are now taking place and they are taking place with the same mood. But they are taking place between representatives of the Russian Federation and representatives of the USA. Again about Ukraine and without Ukraine. It's interesting, if we didn't go for all these ultimatums in the most difficult moment, where does this feeling come from that now Ukraine will go for it?...I was not going to and will not go for ultimatums from Russia
Addition
Reuters reports that US and Russian officials agreed at talks in Saudi Arabia to "appoint high-level teams to begin work on ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible in a way that is long-term, sustainable and acceptable to all parties".