"We will not agree to be controlled by anyone" - Zelenskyy on Putin's statement regarding elections in Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will not allow Putin to influence possible elections in the country, as he wants to control not only Russian elections. The President noted that Putin is looking for justifications for the war, not its root causes, and does not intend to end the war only with Ukraine.
Ukraine will not allow the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to influence possible elections in our country. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this in an interview with PAP, reports UNN.
Details
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, commenting on the annual press conference of the Kremlin leader, stated that there are "many" Putins.
One talks to Americans, another gives speeches, a third does something else
The President of Ukraine noted that Putin spoke about the alleged importance of citizens from all over Ukraine participating in the elections, including from the temporarily occupied regions. At the same time, Putin himself recognized these territories as "occupied."
According to Zelenskyy, the Kremlin leader wants to control not only elections in Russia. Now he has also taken on elections in Ukraine.
We will not agree to anyone controlling us
Answering the question of what Putin means when he talks about the root causes of the war, the President of Ukraine said that the Russian dictator "is not looking for the root cause of the war, but for an excuse."
Tomorrow he might say it's because of NATO, even though Ukraine has never been in NATO. Then he might say that the very invitation to join NATO is already a risk for Russia. Now he's talking about some buffer zones. He says it's very far away. For this person, everything is a reason to demonstrate and show his aggression. He's looking for excuses in his society. I think he would like it not to make such an impression on the United States.
According to Zelenskyy, "Putin does not want to end this war at all, and moreover, he does not even want to end the war in Ukraine, and he does not intend to end the war only with Ukraine. He wants to go further."
On the other hand, Zelenskyy added, the question is who is really able to stop him on this path – with economic sanctions, military force, and other tools: "The United States is one of such players."
Recall
Vladimir Putin at the annual "direct line" again voiced false statements about the situation at the front, claiming that Ukraine is not ready for peace on Russia's terms. He also cynically ridiculed Zelenskyy's visit to Kupyansk and announced alleged successes of Russian troops near Kupyansk, Lyman, Myrnograd, and Huliaipole.