Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Bloomberg that peace talks between Ukraine and Russia can only be held on an international platform in the presence of trusted leaders.
Earlier, Zelenskyy rejected a suggestion from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to consider a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Ukraine rejects Orban’s ceasefire proposal during Kyiv talks
He said that a time-limited truce could accelerate peace negotiations. The Ukrainian president dismissed the idea, saying Russian ruler Vladimir Putin can not be trusted, as Russia has a history of violating the agreements. He added that Russia could use the pause to regroup and launch a new offensive.
“Regarding the ceasefire: we’ve had hundreds of meetings since the Minsk agreements many years ago. Parties agreed on a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, but Russia constantly violated it and killed our people. Therefore, it’s only possible if it happens at a transparent international platform in the presence of trusted leaders,” said Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian president emphasized that a specific mechanism is needed to understand that Russia won’t use the ceasefire to accumulate equipment on Ukraine’s occupied territory. That platform should limit Russia’s ability to create provocations to blame Ukraine and use orchestrated incidents as a reason for its continued military aggression.
In summary, Zelenskyy said it’s easy to agree on a ceasefire but very difficult to maintain it. According to the president, it’s crucial to find answers to what will happen after the ceasefire.
“Many are asking about a ceasefire. And it’s normal for people to talk about it. But then comes my question: okay, what’s the second step? What’s the third step? What steps need to be taken if Putin breaks those agreements? After the ceasefire, in a month, will Putin withdraw Russia’s troops? Who will guarantee the withdrawal of troops from our occupied territories? And then silence because there are no answers,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
When asked which countries could act as third parties in possible peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, the president replied that he considers the US and China the best candidates for such negotiations.
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