Zelensky says he is still open to negotiations with Russia

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that he is still open to negotiate with Russia, but only if Moscow withdraws its forces to the positions before the invasion of its country. During a remote event this Friday (6) at Chatham House in London, Zelensky said that returning to the situation of February 23, the day before the invasion, is a requirement for the talks.

“In that situation, we would be able to start discussing things normally,” and Ukraine could use “diplomatic channels” to retake its territory. The UK government has said Russia needs to withdraw from all of Ukraine, including Crimea, which Moscow took over in 2014.

Despite Russia’s intensified attacks in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, Zelensky said he still saw room for diplomacy. “Not all bridges are already destroyed” in the diplomatic channel, he said.

The Ukrainian president also said that “Mariupol will never fall”. “I’m not talking about heroism or anything. There’s nothing there to fall into. It is already totally devastated”, he lamented.

Germany

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he has invited Germany’s heads of government and state to visit Ukraine next Monday, May 9, the day Russia marks the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. world. Western officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin could use the Victory Day holiday to make an announcement about the war declaring a victory or escalating the conflict,

Germany is part of the western alliance that supports Ukraine, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has yet to pay a solidarity visit to the country. Scholz has exchanged barbs with Ukrainian officials in recent weeks over Kiev’s refusal to invite Germany’s head of state, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whom Ukraine accuses of getting closer to Russia during his time as foreign minister.

Speaking at London’s Chatham House think-tank on Friday, Zelensky said he had spoken with Steinmeier and invited the president and Scholz to visit the capital. According to the Ukrainian leader, Scholz “can take this very powerful political step to come here on May 9, to Kiev.”

There was no immediate word on whether or not German politicians agreed. The Speaker of the German Parliament, Baerbel Bas, is due to visit Ukraine on Sunday (8) and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, soon.

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