If Russia wants to "unblock relations", it has to first unblock Black Sea – Zelenskyy

ALONA MAZURENKO – WEDNESDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2022, 20:02

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that despite relentless missile attacks on Ukraine, Russia has asked the president of Guinea-Bissau to relay its desire to "build bridges" and "unblock relations" with Ukraine.

Source: President Zelenskyy during a press briefing with Umaro Sissoco Embaló, President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Quote from Zelenskyy: "As for the signals from the Russian side. Mr President of Guinea-Bissau has passed them on.

He said that Russia wants to build bridges. In turn, I showed Mr President the things that are happening here in more depth.

I told him that building bridges between two countries requires that the infrastructure of one of those countries not be attacked by the other. Once that is the case, future discussions might become possible. Then there’s the question of who we should be talking to.

Russia passed on another request, the need to unblock relations [between Russia and Ukraine]...Let’s begin by unblocking our Black Sea."

Details: Zelenskyy additionally said that the Russian president’s willingness to talk is a pretence, a rhetorical move aimed at his audience within Russia as well as at those countries that have not yet severed political ties with Russia.

The Ukrainian President added that a dialogue with any other country requires mutual respect and each country’s respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and borders of the other. So far, Russia continues to demonstrate a lack of such respect.

Zelenskyy also noted that Russia is threatening Ukraine and the world with a "dirty bomb" and continues to occupy the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Meanwhile, Umaro Sissoco Embaló said that he has informed President Zelenskyy about the content of his negotiations with the Russian government that took place prior to his visit to Ukraine.

The President of Guinea-Bissau stressed that he was shocked by what he saw during his visit to several of Ukraine’s regions and cities damaged as a result of Russia’s armed aggression.

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