Zelensky names facts indicating that Putin does not want peace
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's unwillingness to meet at the leadership level, agree to the presence of foreign troops along the line of contact, and his statements about Donbas all indicate that the Russian dictator does not actually want peace.
The head of state said this in an interview for the podcast The Rest Is Politics, Ukrinform reports, citing the President's Telegram channel.
"I told our American partners they could understand whether Putin wanted peace by finding answers to the issues as follows: First, try to organize a meeting at the level of leaders to discuss territories. Putin has refused. Second, if he doesn't want to continue the aggression after a ceasefire, propose deploying American and European soldiers along the contact line. Putin's response was, 'No, no foreign soldiers of any kind'. Why? This can only mean he wants to go forward," Zelensky said.
The third factor indicating that Putin does not want peace, according to the President, is his statements about the need to seize Donbas.
"He has around 17 million square kilometers of land. Yet, he tells Americans, 'Look, what's the problem? It's only about 6,000 square kilometers.' Can you imagine that someone who has millions of square kilometers, 70% of which is underdeveloped and doesn't have proper infrastructure, is asking for more? Do we really believe that all he needs is an additional 5,800 square kilometers?" Zelensky noted.
In his view, Donbas is a strategic region in Ukraine. Once Russia gains control of Ukrainian industrial cities and fortifications in this region, what remains are open fields and direct roads to regional centers.
"What I mean is that we understand why he wants Donbas," Zelensky concluded.
As previously reported, in an interview with Rai Radio, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donetsk region cannot be considered a compromise, as it would allow Russia to later occupy Kharkiv and Dnipro.
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine