Zelenskyy: With his ultimatum Putin invalidated all previous statements regarding desire for peace

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's ultimatum on the first day of the Peace Summit nullified all previous declarations about Russia’s alleged preparedness for negotiations.

Source: Zelenskyy during a press conference at the end of the Peace Summit

Quote: "The person (Putin – ed.) urges Ukraine to abandon more of the legitimate territory under our control. The person who wants to end the war can speak of anything, – even of a frozen conflict that does not suit us because we do not believe them, – but in this case, the person absolutely provoked and, frankly, scared the entire world by stating that he was not going to end the war but would continue to seize territory.

This is a huge mistake that will benefit us... Behind the scenes, practically everyone agreed that with this statement, Putin sent the message to the entire world that everything he had previously said about his desire to end the war had been nullified. All countries have stated this, including those that hold opposing views or held them before. It's also a huge success. The enemy's missteps might also lead to success," he stated. 

Details: Zelenskyy also responded to the journalist's assertion that several countries at the Peace Summit urged for the participation of Russian delegates.

"At this Summit, several countries wanted to involve Russian Federation officials; at the same time, most countries did not even want to shake hands with them. So there are different viewpoints around the world and they have the right to be spoken out and be different," he stated.

Zelenskyy added that if Russia were to attend the second Peace Summit, it would imply that "they decided to end the war" or that "the world forced them."

"Russia can start negotiations with us tomorrow without the need to wait for anything, if it leaves our legitimate territories – this is simply [a manifestation of] respect for the UN Charter," he concluded.

Support UP or become our patron!