Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he respects history but does not see the need to spend time debating the past.
“We respect history. But I don’t want to talk about it because I don’t have time. I have my own view of why he [Vladimir Putin] started [the war], and I can talk about that and other things, but I don’t want to waste time on these historical questions or the reasons why he started it,” Zelenskyy said.
He stressed that Putin’s conversations with the U.S. side about historical figures, including Peter the Great, have no practical relevance to ending the fighting.
“To end the war and move to diplomacy, I don’t need all this historical nonsense. It is all just a way to delay [ending the war],” Zelenskyy said.
The president added that he is well versed in history and believes he knows more about Russia than Putin knows about Ukraine. He attributed this to extensive travel across Russian regions, interactions with people in different cities and an understanding of the country’s mentality, while saying the Russian leader has spent far less time in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also said discussions about history are an internal matter for Russians and a reflection of their choice of political system.
“Russians decided they needed a new tsar. That is their choice. But there is a security issue. There is a large war against us. These are our lives. The only thing I want to talk to him about is what, in my view, we need to resolve successfully — meaning to end this war quickly, without these enormous losses each time. That is why I want to talk only about such things,” the Ukrainian leader said.
On Feb. 18, another round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States and Russia concluded in Geneva.
Zelenskyy said the talks were difficult and that progress was achieved only on military issues, including an agreement on monitoring a ceasefire with U.S. participation.
According to Axios, the talks “hit a dead end” because of Russia’s position. By contrast, U.S. President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said the meetings “led to significant progress.”
Kyrylo Budanov said the trilateral talks in Geneva were difficult but important.
The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, described the discussions as “difficult but businesslike.”