Zelenskyy states he is ready to meet with Putin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that they want to end the Russia-Ukraine War through diplomacy and that he is ready to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to that end if necessary.
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In a written statement on his Telegram account, Zelenskyy stated that he received Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), who is in the country for official talks.
Stating that the bilateral meeting held at the Presidential Office addressed issues regarding the assistance provided by the EBRD to people affected by the war in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said, "The expansion of aid, direct investments in the private sector, and increasing cooperation in the banking sector were discussed."
Following the bilateral meeting, Zelenskyy evaluated the latest developments regarding the ongoing war in his country during a press conference with Odile Renaud-Basso.
In response to a question about whether there is a possibility of meeting with Russian President Putin to end the war, Zelenskyy replied:
"Of course, both the US, President (Donald) Trump, and EU countries believe that diplomacy is not possible without Russia, without Putin. That is why I said that if we can agree on how this war will end for us, I am ready (to meet with Putin). We are ready for diplomacy; I have no problem with that here. The problem is that it seems to me that Putin is, in principle, afraid to talk to me about ending the war."
Zelenskyy added, "But I still think Trump could force him to end the war."
"I AM SURE THAT US-UKRAINE TEAMS WILL WORK TOGETHER"
Touching upon the information that has recently appeared in some media outlets claiming there is a "Trump plan" to end the Russia-Ukraine War, Zelenskyy commented, "I am sure that our teams (US-Ukraine) will work together. There cannot be a different plan from one another."
Reminding that he had previously shared his own views on ending the war with Trump, Zelenskyy said, "However, we will still work to ensure that this is a common understanding and vision. We need a common vision among partners, even if Russia does not like something. Then, we are ready for diplomacy."
Recalling that there are also claims that a plan to end the war has emerged from Keith Kellogg, whom Trump appointed as the Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Zelenskyy said, "We will wait for official negotiations and results."