Russians are doing everything to prevent leaders' meeting - Zelensky
The head of state said this during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.
“It is at the leadership level that the issue of ending the war should be resolved, but we now see that the Russians are doing everything they can to prevent the meeting from taking place. Unlike Russia, Ukraine is not afraid of any meetings with leaders. We are ready to work productively, to the maximum extent possible,” Zelensky emphasized.
He also expressed hope that “partners will help ensure at least a minimally productive position on the part of Russia.”
“We must force them to engage in diplomacy. We need really strong sanctions if they [the Russian Federation] do not agree to a diplomatic solution to this war, if they do not want to end the war. We are counting on strong [sanctions] packages from our partners,” the President said.
According to him, “everything must be done to prevent Russia from continuing to hide from the meeting.”
“We see a strong signal from the United States that they are ready to move forward. Europe and other countries within the coalition want to and are ready to help. We are grateful for that,” Zelensky said.
As reported, on August 19, US President Donald Trump said that his administration is working to organize direct talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to reach agreements on ending the war.
Photo: OP
