Zelenskyy: Kyiv’s airports are ready for delegation aircraft – the question is whether Russia will allow it

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that airports in and around Kyiv are ready to receive delegation aircraft: the question is whether Russia will provide a security corridor.

Source: Zelenskyy responding to journalists' questions online

Quote: "Ukraine was ready to receive the American aircraft – the aircraft carrying the delegation of negotiators. Either Boryspil or Zhuliany could have been used. Russia undoubtedly wanted to make the point that there is no security in Ukraine, and they hit both the runway at Zhuliany and the runway at Boryspil. But nonetheless, everything was working, absolutely. From a technical point of view, our airports are ready to receive delegations. The question is whether the Russian Federation provides a security corridor."

Details: Zelenskyy added that US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also had the option of flying to Belarus and travelling to Ukraine from Homel (Gomel).

"From Homel it's just over three hours by road. We also worked through this option, and formally our security service was ready to meet Steve and Jared," Zelenskyy said.

However, he said, the Americans chose to travel by train.

"They chose the train route. We told them it would be a safe and comfortable journey to Ukraine. The entire American delegation really enjoyed the train. We agreed that they will come again," Zelenskyy concluded.

Background:

• On the afternoon of 6 September, US presidential representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Kyiv for the first time.
• Zelenskyy announced that several rounds of negotiations would take place in Kyiv: first with the US presidential envoys, who would then be joined by negotiators from France, the UK and Germany.
• Following the three rounds of talks, Zelenskyy said the discussions had covered not only potential parameters for ending the war but also short-term support for Ukraine.
• He also said that several new ideas regarding the next stage of the peace negotiations had been put forward during the talks in Kyiv with the US envoys and Ukraine's European partners.

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