Slovakian Prime Minister Fico stated on Saturday on Slovakian radio that Putin had expressed interest in meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “anywhere except Moscow.”
“It would also not be particularly advantageous politically for President Zelensky to meet with President Putin, and certainly the citizens of the Russian Federation would not be enthusiastic if President Putin were to meet with President Zelensky. But both understand that despite possible political disadvantages, they must meet and negotiate, because if they do not negotiate, the war will continue,” Fico said.
The Slovak prime minister met with the Ukrainian president in person on Friday in Uzhhorod, where he probably conveyed this message to him.
Volodymyr Zelensky then suggested Kiev as a possible venue for a meeting on Saturday. In an interview with the American television station ABC, he emphasized that he could not travel to Moscow because Ukraine was under daily Russian attack. He described Putin's offer as a tactic to delay negotiations, adding that the Russian president could not be trusted because he was “playing games” with the United States.
The Ukrainian president has already called on Putin several times to meet to agree on a ceasefire. According to Ukrainian sources, at least seven countries have offered to host the summit, including Turkey and three Persian Gulf states that are neutral.
Putin acknowledged on Wednesday that Zelensky could come to Moscow if it would lead to a positive outcome, but on Friday he again questioned the significance of such talks, stating that he did not recognize the Ukrainian president's legitimacy. Zelensky responded by rejecting Moscow as a venue for negotiations: “If you want the meeting not to take place, then invite me to Moscow.”
(luc)