Zelensky Discusses Principles of Peace Negotiations with Russia

Ukraine accepts peace negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin through international mediators. President Volodymyr Zelensky made this statement in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Global media have pointed out that Zelensky has previously spoken about the impossibility of such negotiations, which have even been enshrined in law in Ukraine.

However, during a conversation with The Philadelphia Inquirer's journalists on June 30, the Ukrainian leader indicated that peace negotiations with the current Russian leadership could be conducted on the principle that was first applied in the agreements reached around the grain corridor, where Kyiv negotiated not directly with Moscow, but through the mediation of the UN and Turkey.

In his view, a similar scheme can be used in negotiations concerning “territorial integrity, energy, and freedom of navigation.” According to the President of Ukraine, countries from various continents, as well as Europe and the United States, can also act as mediators in this process.

It is worth noting that on June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned the conditions under which he believes Moscow would be ready to stop military operations in Ukraine. Specifically, these include the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, an official statement from Kyiv renouncing plans for Ukraine's NATO membership, and recognizing Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions as subjects of the Russian Federation, along with the lifting of Western sanctions.