Yuri Kobzar15:54, 21.07.24

Until recently, the Ukrainian president denied the possibility of negotiations with the Russian dictator and even issued a corresponding decree.

The hot phase of the war in Ukraine could end by the end of this year without the forced return of the occupied territories. Ukraine is preparing a response plan that will be offered to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the BBC .

“If we unite and follow, for example, the format of the Peace Summit, we can end the hot stage of the war. We can try to do this by the end of this year. The plan will be ready in any case. (…) But the plan must be united with partners. So that no one plays with their initiatives to end the war. And this will then depend on the partners, who will put pressure on Russia so that Russia agrees to sit down and think about ending the war,” he said.

According to Zelensky, the end of the war does not mean recapturing all territories by force. According to him, the “power of diplomacy” can help with this, but Ukraine still needs to be strong on the battlefield.

“It is advisable not to retreat, it is advisable to stand. And it is also advisable to take some steps that will weaken Russia. It will begin to retreat. This will simply give you a stronger position at the negotiating table. But this does not mean that all territories should be returned exclusively by weapons,” he emphasized.

At the same time, Zelensky did not rule out the possibility of negotiations directly with Vladimir Putin.

“At the Second Peace Summit – if the plan is fully prepared and if Russia is ready to discuss this plan and negotiate an end to the war in accordance with the UN Charter and the resolution of all the crises that they brought – then we will be ready to talk together with partners with representatives of Russia. And whether it will be Putin or not – what difference does it make. (…) Well, we will talk with those who decide everything in Russia,” the president explained.

Possibility of negotiations with Putin

As UNIAN reported, in October 2022, after the Kremlin staged a fake “referendum” in the occupied territories of Ukraine regarding their accession to the Russian Federation, President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree enacting the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine on the impossibility of holding negotiations with the head of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

Since then, Zelensky has repeatedly explained that negotiations with Putin are pointless, since the Russian dictator is using the negotiation process to buy time to recuperate and launch a new attack.

However, in the summer of 2024, Zelensky’s rhetoric changed noticeably and he allowed for the possibility of such negotiations , in particular through intermediaries.

(c)UNIAN 2024