Zelensky says Ukraine ready for talks with Russia, but only on neutral territory
Ukraine is ready to holding talks with Russia to stop the war it has unleashed, but only on neutral territory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 27.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that a Russian delegation had arrived in Belarus on Sunday, Feb. 27, for negotiations with a Ukrainian delegation.
During an address to Belarusians on Feb. 27, Zelensky claimed that he was ready for negotiations “in any country where missiles do not fly from,” noting that attacks have been made on Ukraine from Belarusian territory, including by cruise missiles, helicopters, and military equipment.
“Now there is a lot of news about possible negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, which can end this war and restore peace to all of us,” the Ukrainian president said.
“And they often mention your capital, Minsk, as a platform for these negotiations, a platform that we did not choose. And in fact, neither did you. But the Russian leadership chose it.”
He added that Ukraine had offered Russia a venue for talks in Warsaw, Istanbul, Baku, or any other city.
Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the chief-of-staff to the Office of the President of Ukraine, said that Russia was manipulating the issues of the negotiation process and was trying to put Ukraine in unacceptable ultimatum conditions, and also “humiliates Belarus by using it.”
He also denied the Kremlin’s claims that Kyiv had abandoned negotiations. According to him, Moscow is trying to lead the negotiations to a dead end before they even begin.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
