Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a meeting of the World Economic Forum on January 19 that he was not sure whether Russian President Vladimir Putin was alive and a policymaker in Russia.
Zelensky made the remarks when he attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, online this morning to discuss the possibility of peace talks between the country and Russia with participating countries.
According to a press release provided by the Ukrainian presidency, Zelensky said at the meeting that Ukraine has tried for years to use diplomatic means to recover territories occupied by Russia, including Crimea, but Russia has no such intention.
Zelensky said: “I don’t fully understand whether Putin is still alive. Is he the decision maker, or is it another person or group of people? I don’t know. I don’t know how you can promise European leaders one thing, and then go back and forth. A full-scale military strike against another country in a day. I don’t really know who we’re dealing with.”
He said Ukraine was now unsure of what issues to negotiate with with whom in Russia.
The Kyiv Post reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to Zelensky’s remarks: “It is clear that Russia and Putin are a big problem for both Ukraine and Zelensky.”
Peskov said Zelensky psychologically wishes both Russia and Putin did not exist.
The press release from the Ukrainian presidency also noted that Zelensky also urged allies at the meeting to continue to provide military assistance to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Zelenskiy emphasized that Ukraine most needed air defense systems from its allies to protect civilians and energy facilities from enemy missiles and drones.
“Our partners know that Russia can attack our energy facilities and all of our targets to cause another blackout,” he said.
Meanwhile, rumors of Putin’s deteriorating health were rampant.
In an interview with the ABC, Budanov, head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense’s intelligence service, said that according to their information, Putin had been suffering from cancer for some time and he thought he would die soon.
Asked whether the bureau obtained such intelligence from sources close to Putin, Budanov replied: “Yes.”
Budanov said he believed Putin would die after Ukraine won the Russo-Ukrainian war. “This war must end before he dies. We will win in 2023.”Return to Sohu to see more
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