Ukraine Ready for Talks with Russia once the Peace Plan is Ready
NEW DELHI, Feb 14: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that he was ready for direct talks with Russia once Kyiv reached a common position with the United States and Europe on how to end the three-year war.
His statement came two days after the US president Donald Trump talked on phone with both Mr Zelensky and the Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Mr Zelensky said Donald Trump had not finalised his plan for how he wanted to end the conflict. “We are ready for any conversations with America and our allies,” said Mr Zelensky. “If they provide us with specific answers to specific requests from us and a common understanding of the dangerous Putin, then, with our unified understanding, we will be ready to talk with the Russians,” he added.
The Ukrainian president was in Munich where he will hold talks with U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance. Mr Vance had earlier said Washington had “military leverage” it could use against Russia and that he backed Ukraine’s “sovereign independence.” Mr Zelensky said of Mr Vance’s comments: “His signals were strong, we are grateful for that.”
Mr Trump’s desire for a swift end to the war, his repeated criticism of aid to Ukraine and his lengthy phone call to Mr Putin earlier this week have triggered concern in Kyiv that it could be forced to accept peace on Moscow’s terms. But the U.S. leader has not yet outlined the terms for a possible agreement.
“I don’t see that the U.S. has a plan ready,” Mr Zelensky said on Friday.
(Manas Dasgupta)
