Zelenskyy compares Lukashenko's remarks with his opponent Tsikhanouskaya's arrival in Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has commented on remarks by self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko about being ready to meet with the Ukrainian president, pointing out that Belarusian opposition leader in exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya had meanwhile arrived in Kyiv.

Source: Zelenskyy's speech at the 4th International Summit of Cities and Regions

Quote: "For the first time in this format, we have representatives of Belarus. And recently Lukashenko said that the presidents of Ukraine and Belarus should finally meet. It turned out interestingly: Lukashenko said it, but Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya arrived."

Details: The president stressed that most of those present clearly understood and felt the meaning of the phrase "For our freedom and yours".

"This is exactly how we are defending ourselves in Ukraine now, exactly how the freedom and independence of many others in Europe were defended, and exactly how the entire free world lives – thanks to the readiness of others to come to the aid of the one facing unjust strikes and wars of aggression," he added.

Background:

• Earlier, on the morning of 25 May, Tsikhanouskaya arrived in Kyiv for her first official visit.
• Previously, Lukashenko had said he was open to negotiations with Zelenskyy and ready to meet him "at any location". "If he [Zelenskyy] wants to talk about something, consult or anything else, please, we are open to this. At any point – in Ukraine or Belarus – I am ready to meet him and discuss the problems of Belarusian-Ukrainian relations," Lukashenko said.
• Later, Ukraine's Office of the President of Ukraine described Lukashenko's remarks about being ready to meet Zelenskyy anywhere, including in Ukraine, as "meaningless".

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