Ukraine and Russia Can Negotiate Only Through Intermediaries, Zelensky Says

In a recent interview with journalist Trudy Rubin from The Philadelphia Inquirer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin can only be conducted through intermediaries. His remarks were quoted by Ukrainska Pravda.

Zelensky explained that Ukraine can adopt a negotiation model similar to the one used for the grain corridor deal.

In this model, Ukraine negotiated with the United Nations and Turkey, who then negotiated with Russia and signed corresponding agreements. This approach involved two parallel agreements facilitated by the UN and Turkey.

Zelensky suggested that a similar model could be applied to territorial integrity, energy, and shipping issues.

In this scenario, countries from different continents would prepare a solution to a particular crisis. If the proposed solution is acceptable to Ukraine, representatives from the Russian Federation would then engage with it.

"So far, we have only such a model," Zelensky noted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressing the Russian Foreign Ministry on June 14, stated that Russia is ready to cease hostilities in Ukraine if several conditions are met.

These include the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia regions, Ukraine's official renunciation of plans to join NATO, recognition of Crimea and other regions as part of Russia, and the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia.

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Zelensky said he had met Burns on multiple occasions throughout the war, but their meetings had been undisclosed.

He said Russia was ready to negotiate with representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which, he claimed, was the “only legitimate” government body in the country – implying that he was not prepared to negotiate with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky dismissed Putin's conditions as an "ultimatum that cannot be trusted," stating that they are no different from previous demands.

"These are ultimatum messages that are no different from those that were before," he said, expressing his belief that Putin "will not stop."