Zelenskyy is ready to meet with Putin and spoke about relations with Trump
Kyiv • UNN
The President is ready for negotiations outside of Ukraine and Russia. He explained the risks of surrendering Donbas and the impossibility of holding elections during the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his readiness to meet with the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, as he stated in an interview with Rai, writes UNN.
I am ready to meet with Putin. Of course, not in Moscow or Kyiv. But if he is ready to meet me, there are many places where it can be done. We can find such a place in the Middle East, in Europe, the United States, anywhere.
Regarding Donbas
Regarding Donbas, Zelenskyy stated: "We cannot simply discuss the transfer of Donbas. If we leave Donbas to the Russians, they will occupy our best-protected places without any losses. The construction of new lines of fortifications can take a year, a year and a half. They can attack Kharkiv and other cities that make a large contribution to our GDP. And there will be a split in society. And any split is Putin's key goal and the destruction of our independence."
Regarding Donbas before the war, Zelenskyy says: "Mistakes, of course, were made, everyone makes mistakes. We would have to go back to the 1990s, then to the early 2000s, but Putin would still find a reason to occupy Ukraine."
Regarding negotiations and security guarantees
Zelenskyy welcomed the United States' ceasefire with Iran. "This will facilitate the resolution of this energy crisis. In any case, support for Ukraine, including the supply of weapons, must continue. The United States focused more on the Middle East, so trilateral negotiations with Russia were postponed. But we will resume them..." - the President indicated.
Zelenskyy also spoke about security guarantees: "What security guarantees do we have if Russia decides to attack again? Perhaps it will not do so immediately, or perhaps it will attack again in two or three years. We also want security guarantees to include the presence of Europe and the United States."
Regarding elections
Regarding elections, Zelenskyy stated: "Holding elections now contradicts our law. Secondly, we need to ensure the safety of people, soldiers, who must vote. How can we do this under attack?"
Regarding sanctions
Regarding sanctions, Zelenskyy indicated: "We know how much oil Russia sold despite the sanctions. We, however, hope that the United States will soon resume them."
Regarding Trump
Zelenskyy summarized about Trump: "Who has a better relationship with Trump than I do? I think we have a good relationship because I am one of the few people who tells him what he thinks. Not many people can tell the President of the United States that he is not always right. We need support from the United States, not only militarily. They also need us and our experience gained during these years of war."