Diplomat Bezsmertnyi: To say that there are grounds for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin is to deceive oneself

In terms of the current disposition of the Ukrainian and Russian sides to end the war, there is no need to talk about a real meeting at the level of the leaders of the states..

This opinion was expressed by former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Belarus Roman Bezsmertnyi in an interview with LIGA.net

According to him, Russia's position is quite ultimatum, as evidenced by the previous three rounds of talks in Turkey, as well as statements by Kremlin politicians. The parties did not come close to a common opinion on key issues.

"When an ultimatum is presented, they are preparing for war, not for a negotiation process. No one took the document and Russia's proposal as a negotiating track. It was perceived as a war track," Bezsmertnyi said .

In addition, in the negotiations, Ukraine insists on compliance with the United Nations Charter and international law. But this is not in the Russian proposals.

"Hence, to say that there are grounds for a meeting of the top officials in order to move forward constructively is to deceive oneself," the diplomat emphasized .

He noted that Ukraine has chosen the right tactical position, expressing its readiness for talks and a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, and unity of views with Europe and the United States. Against this backdrop, Russia's "destructive position" clearly stands out.

"The picture is clear, but it does not lead to a meeting. On the contrary, in accordance with Russia's doctrine of using diplomatic receptions as a weapon, it shows once again that the Kremlin chooses tension and war as its path, rather than achieving results through negotiations," Bezsmertnyi summarized .

• on July 25, Trump said that Zelenskyy's meeting with Putin would take place, but should have taken place three months ago.
• On July 28, the US president said that he was no longer interested in talking to Putin, because he does not stop killing Ukrainians. He also shortened the 50-day ultimatum for Putin and gave the dictator "10 or 12 days" to conclude a peace deal, otherwise sanctions.
• On July 29, Russia rejected Trump's ultimatum, Peskov said that his words were "taken into account" but the war against Ukraine would continue.