Zelenskyy wants to meet Putin to improve peace negotiations

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is taking the peace negotiations with Russia seriously and that discussions would be more effective if held at the level of national leaders.

Source: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on X (Twitter), citing his latest interview with Reuters

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Ukrainians take negotiations seriously. We believe talks are necessary – preferably at the level of leaders – and we are ready for that. The Russians are seeking an ultimatum resolution to the military actions. They want Ukraine to accept their conditions, including the withdrawal of Ukraine's Armed Forces from the territory we control in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts."

Details: Zelenskyy said both sides understand how long it would take Russian forces to capture the territory while sustaining monthly losses of 28,000 to 35,000 soldiers.

"And it's still not certain they would succeed in seizing it. They could end up burying 300,000 to a million of their troops there. They don't value human life, but they understand that it's money. All of this comes down to recruitment contracts, and 300,000 to a million additional coffins for Russia," he said.

The Ukrainian leader noted that the Kremlin does not fully grasp how the public will react, or whether people will eventually accept it.

Quote from Zelenskyy: "That's why they are seeking this kind of dialogue with the Americans: 'Tell the Ukrainians there's nothing to fight for.' We know this Russian rhetoric very well: 'There's nothing to fight for. Just 6,000 sq km.' We explain to our partners, and in my view, with full justification, why this is not the case."

Background:

• In January, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Zelenskyy was willing to meet Vladimir Putin to resolve two key issues in the peace negotiations: territorial disputes and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
• On 21-22 March, the Ukrainian and US delegations met in Florida to discuss efforts to end the war. US President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff described the meeting as constructive in terms of narrowing the range of unresolved issues.
• Zelenskyy has also stated that Ukraine sees no willingness on Russia's part to end the war and called for increased pressure on Moscow, whereas the United States believes Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is seeking a way to end it.

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