If Russia wants to end the war, it must do so

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky once again stressed that he is ready for talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, UNIAN reports.

Speaking at an online press conference for Danish media, he said Putin was deciding today whether or not to stop the Russian army.

“If Russia wants to end the war, because that’s what the media is saying, they have to sit at the negotiating table. The negotiating table for Ukraine is impossible without Ukraine. Therefore, these negotiations must be direct.

We can talk to intermediaries, we can talk without intermediaries – it doesn’t matter to me. “If the Russian Federation is ready to end the war and therefore leave our territories, I am personally ready for such a format at any moment,” Zelensky said.

He added that every opportunity should be taken to end the war, no matter how difficult it may be.

Zelenski also commented to the media in Denmark on whether a lasting peace with Russia is possible in the future.

“It depends on the Russian side: whether they see for themselves a civilized development in the future, or they want to be just a separate, not very big country … without a connection to the open, free world. That is their decision, “he said.

Zelensky stressed that Ukraine, in terms of security, must be ready at any moment, for any invasion.

Earlier in the day, Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters there was no change on the resumption of talks between Russia and Ukraine.

He noted that the draft peace agreement, handed over by Russia to the representatives of Kyiv on April 15, remained unanswered.

“After that, there were some, maybe informal contacts over the phone, not at the level of delegations, at the level of individual representatives. And then it was over,” Ushakov said.

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