Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to see the war in Ukraine end but questioned whether a clear plan for an exit strategy exists.
“Our teams have been in the process of organising the meeting with President Trump. Discussions so far have been very atmospheric; these have been very general meetings. So far we don’t have a date,” Zelenskyy said during a media interaction at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
When asked about Trump’s potential dialogue with Russian President, he stated, “Any phone call with Putin was not discussed with me, but he said we’ll talk and we’ll work something out.”
Zelenskyy further added the need for direct leadership in negotiations, saying, “If leaders are not talking and intelligence services are talking, that would not work for us.” He reiterated his stance that Putin must engage in dialogue, asserting, “At the same time, it needs to be made clear that we are not equal. We are the victim and Putin is the occupier. We didn’t start the war, he did. But we want to finish the war, and Trump said he also wants to end the war. But Putin doesn’t want to end the war because he has not got what he wanted.”
When asked about Trump’s perspective, Zelenskyy admitted, “I’m not sure he has a vision yet of exit from the war… It’s important to bring Putin to the table.”
Meanwhile, Trump, on the first day of his second presidency, described himself as a “peacekeeper” who would avoid entangling the US in damaging foreign wars in his inauguration speech, but did not mention Ukraine, or explain how he might persuade Putin to engage in negotiations almost three years after his full-scale invasion.
However, later he told reporters, “Zelenskyy told me he wants to make a deal, I don’t know if Putin does … He might not. I think he should make a deal. I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal.”
“I think, Russia is kinda in big trouble. You take a look at their economy, you take a look at their inflation in Russia. I got along with [Putin] great, I would hope he wants to make a deal,” he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
