In an interview aired on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his desire to end the ongoing conflict with Russia through diplomatic means by next year. “On our part, we must do everything we can to ensure that this war ends next year. We have to end it by diplomatic means,” Zelenskyy told Ukrainian radio. “And this, I think, is very important.”
Zelenskyy acknowledged the challenges ahead, noting that Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared disinterested in agreeing to a peace deal. “But that does not mean he wouldn’t sit down with a leader for talks. For him, such meetings are a means to break political isolation,” he noted.
Meanwhile, in a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday, Putin stated that Russia had never rejected and was still open to resuming the talks broken off by Ukraine. According to a Kremlin readout, Putin emphasized that any agreement to end the conflict must consider Russian security interests, reflect “new territorial realities,” and address the original causes of the conflict.
Zelenskyy also conceded that the battlefield situation in eastern Ukraine was difficult, with Russia making advances. The Russian defense ministry announced on Saturday the control of two villages in Donetsk, as the conflict drags on for more than two years since February 2022.
(With input from agencies)
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Zelenskyy wants to end war with Russia via diplomacy next year
cgtn.com
